1865
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Interior of a school, Cairo is a 1865 watercolor by John Frederick Lewis, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This watercolor shows a Quran school in Cairo in 1865. The teacher listens while an assistant recites aloud, tapping a rhythm. Some kids focus, others drift. Lewis visited Cairo often, so the scene feels real, not staged. A debate flares over a girl in the room—some say girls didn’t attend, but experts disagree. Check out the artist’s other Egyptian scenes next.
In this water and body colour painting, the interior of a Quran school in Cairo is shown, where children recite under the guidance of their teacher, the Hoja, who listens while his assistant beats time rhythmically. Some children appear attentive, while others do not, and a young girl is also present among them. In the foreground, a cat and pigeons are visible.
Read the full account in the museum source.
John Frederick Lewis (1804–1876) was an English Orientalist painter. He specialized in Oriental and Mediterranean scenes in detailed watercolour or oils, very often repeating the same composition in a version in each…
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