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A Tomb in Lycia, Turkey

John Peter Gandy

1812

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

British Romanticism Romanticism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

A Tomb in Lycia, Turkey is a 1812 watercolor by John Peter Gandy, a British Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: John Peter Gandy
When & what style?: 1812 · British Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This watercolour is titled A Tomb in Lycia, Turkey. It was created by John Peter Gandy in 1812. Gandy was an architect and draftsman who took part in an expedition to investigate antiquities in Greece and south-west Turkey. The watercolour may have been done after this trip. To learn more about the style and period of this work, look up the movement: Romanticism.

The story of this work

Overview

The watercolor depicts a tomb in a Lycian setting, featuring a distinctive relief on its side, though the exact location remains unidentified. The scene includes a figure with a billhook, cliffs in the background, and a freshwater lake with tall reeds, resembling fertile areas like Dalyan and Caunos. Small details such as pebbles on the roof, cut reed stems, and a partially legible inscription suggest meticulous observation, whether from real sources or imaginative reconstruction. The work reflects Gandy’s architectural precision, with elements later influencing British neo-classical…

Read the full account in the museum source.