Constantinople
1844
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
About the artist
1844
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Constantinople is a 1844 by George Scharf, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This sketch shows a quick, loose drawing of a city street lined with tall buildings. The lines are rough and uneven, with some areas filled in with tight, crisscrossed marks. Windows, doorways, and rooftops are suggested but not detailed—just enough to feel the shape of the scene. The artist focused on capturing the feel of the place rather than perfect details. The signature in the corner reads "George Scharf," and the title is *Constantinople*. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.
This drawing by George Scharf from 1844 depicts Constantinople, likely part of a sketchbook containing similar historical studies. The work shares stylistic traits with Scharf’s other drawings of Lycian ruins, which include pencil and pen-and-ink renderings with white heightening. Comparable pencil sketches of sites such as Xanthus and Pinara, dated November 1843, are preserved in the National Portrait Gallery archive. The drawing reflects Scharf’s archaeological and topographical approach to documenting historical and architectural subjects.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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