Open full image Pin

Tlemcen

John Baptist Joseph Dormer

1874

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Tlemcen is a 1874 watercolor by John Baptist Joseph Dormer, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: John Baptist Joseph Dormer
When & what style?: 1874 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows a narrow alley with crumbling stone walls and a tiled roof peeking over the top. Inside a doorway, a small wooden well sits with a bucket hanging off to the side. The ground is damp-looking, and the buildings lean in close, giving a sense of tight space. The artist used light watercolors to show worn textures—like the rough bricks and faded paint. The blue sky peeks through at the top, adding a little brightness to the shadowy alley. If you like this style, check out Realism for more paintings that focus on everyday details.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour drawing titled *Tlemcen* by Sir John Baptist Joseph Dormer, twelfth Baron Dormer, depicts the Algerian city. The work entered the collection through a purchase from Alister Mathews in October 1975 for thirty pounds.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

John Baptist Joseph Dormer

John Baptist Joseph Dormer painted North-African watercolors in the 1870s. He shows the Mosque walls on Monsoorat, the Sidi fet allah gate in Tunis, and the oldest mosque in Tlemcen. Each sheet records a town, a gate,…

See the richer artist page