Open full image Pin

The Castles of Europe and Asia, Istanbul

Anonymous Greek artist

1809

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

The Castles of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a 1809 watercolor by Anonymous Greek artist, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Anonymous Greek artist
When & what style?: 1809 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

The story of this work

Overview

The work depicts a view across the Bosphorus from the Asian shore, capturing the two castles in the background. It was created as part of a series commissioned by Stratford Canning during his diplomatic mission to Istanbul in 1808. The anonymous Greek artist employed dense water and bodycolour techniques influenced by Ottoman traditions while incorporating European methods of perspective. The series was later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895 from Canning’s daughter, Charlotte.

Read the full account in the museum source.