Who painted View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary?

View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary was painted by Roberts, D. Captain RN in 1830.

Where can I see View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary?

View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

What movement is View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary?

View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary?

Museum-quality prints of View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary

Roberts, D. Captain RN , 1830

View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutary is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist Roberts, D. Captain RN. It dates from 1830 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Captain D.

About this work

Overview

Captain D. Roberts, R.N., produced a watercolour in 1830 titled View of Seraglio Point from the Mosque at Scutari. The work records a panoramic outlook over Constantinople, captured from the elevated position of the mosque. It measures a modest size typical of field sketches and presents a calm, observational tone characteristic of early nineteenth‑century travel drawing.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on a slender tower crowned with a pointed roof, its upper windows rendered as tiny apertures. Below, a courtyard unfolds with low‑lying structures, scattered trees, and a handful of pedestrians. Beyond, a waterway and distant buildings recede, suggesting the bustling urban landscape of the Ottoman capital as seen from a religious perch.

Technique & Style

Roberts employs the delicate wash of watercolour to model light and shade, especially on the tower’s masonry, creating a sense of depth. The restrained palette and swift brushwork reflect the portable, on‑site approach favored by naval officers documenting foreign ports during the period.

History & Provenance

The image was later reproduced as an etching for Finden’s Landscape and Portrait Illustrations to the Life and Works of Lord Byron (1833–34), linking the scene to contemporary literary interest in the East. It entered the private collection of Bill Thomson and was recorded as acquired in June 1970, remaining a documented part of that assemblage.

Mosque of Sultan Hassan at Cairo, Unknown

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Artist & collection

Artist

Roberts, D. Captain RN

Captain Roberts painted watercolours of Ottoman ports in the 1820s–30s, recording harbours, mosques and domes with a sailor’s eye for angles and light.