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Kasim Pasa, the former Ottoman Naval Arsenal, showing a crane and a ship under construction

Unknown

1820

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Ottoman Miniature Romanticism Early 19th Century Marine

Dominant colour

Kasim Pasa, the former Ottoman Naval Arsenal, showing a crane and a ship under construction is a 1820 watercolor by Unknown, a Ottoman Miniature work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1820 · Ottoman Miniature
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a busy shipyard by the water. A large crane lifts something heavy, while workers move around a half-built ship on dry land. In the background, buildings line the shore, and a small boat with rowers glides near the docks. The shipyard looks like a mix of old and new tech—wooden ships, pulleys, and simple tools. The sky is pale, and the colors stay soft, like a quiet day by the water. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour drawing from 1820 depicts the Kasim Pasa Ottoman Naval Arsenal, showing a crane and a ship under construction. The work may be a copy or derivative of drawings by an anonymous Greek artist linked to John Cam Hobhouse and Lord Byron’s 1809–10 travels in Greece and Turkey. The artist is possibly an English visitor to Constantinople, with several related works sharing a similar hand. The scene reflects the historical context of the naval dockyard as described in Hobhouse’s 1813 account.

Read the full account in the museum source.