Vue des Turbé, ou Tombes Impériales

1852

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Architectural

Dominant colour

Vue des Turbé, ou Tombes Impériales is a 1852 by Alexius Geyer, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Alexius Geyer
When & what style?: 1852 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This image shows a drawing of a large building with domes and a tall tower. The building is surrounded by smaller structures and trees. In the foreground, there are people and horses. The drawing is done in a detailed style, with lots of lines and shading. It looks like it was made a long time ago. If you like this drawing, you might also like the work of artist Geyer, Alexius.

The story of this work

Overview

Alexius Geyer’s 1852 drawing *Vue des Turbé, ou Tombes Impériales* depicts exterior views of the imperial tombs adjacent to Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Created as part of a collaborative project with Gaspard Fossati, who oversaw restoration work on the building between 1847 and 1849, the work was later reproduced in Fossati’s 1852 publication *Aya Sofia Constantinople*. Geyer’s contribution focused on documenting the exterior architecture, while Fossati handled the interior views. The drawing appears as plate 19 in the publication.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Alexius Geyer

Alexius Geyer spent the 1850s wandering Constantinople’s hills with a folding stool and a camera lucida, sketching the city before photographers crowded the view.

See the richer artist page