Baltadgi
1820
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
About the artist
Artist
William Page
American, Albany, New York 1811–1885 Staten Island, New York
See the richer artist page1820
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Baltadgi is a 1820 watercolor by William Page, a American Folk Art work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a man sitting on a simple wooden chair, wearing a red hat and loose, striped clothes. His feet are bare, and he holds a cloth draped over his shoulder. In front of him on a table are small piles of beads, a few books, and a shallow dish with coins or small objects. The man looks relaxed, almost amused, as if posing for the artist. The colors are soft, with the red hat standing out against his muted clothing. Next, look up Romanticism to see how this style shaped portraits like this one.
A watercolour drawing titled *Baltadgi* by William Page from 1820 depicts a figure in Ottoman palace service, likely a confectioner, rendered in costume study. The work is part of a series that includes both works based on direct observation and those derived from earlier sources, suggesting Page’s evolving approach during his travels in the Near East. The drawing reflects the artist’s documented stylistic shift between the 1810s–1820s and the late 1820s–1830s, with this piece belonging to the earlier group. It was acquired in 1967 from Maggs.
Read the full account in the museum source.
American, Albany, New York 1811–1885 Staten Island, New York
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