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Portrait, head and shoulders, facing left, of an oriental man wearing a white turban

Unknown

1845

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Orientalism Romanticism Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Portrait, head and shoulders, facing left, of an oriental man wearing a white turban is a 1845 watercolor by Unknown, a Orientalism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1845 · Orientalism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows a man in profile, wearing a white turban with a red band. His long white beard is thick, and he’s dressed in a dark cloak with a red scarf peeking out. The background is mostly a soft blue wash, with loose brushstrokes that keep things fuzzy. The painting uses watercolor, which lets the colors blend softly. The artist didn’t focus on tiny details—just big shapes and mood. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A portrait from 1845 depicts a man of Middle Eastern or Asian appearance, shown in half-length view facing left and wearing a white turban. The work was once tentatively assigned to W. J. Müller, and a comparable full-length watercolor of a similar figure was exhibited by Spink and Sons in 1979.

Read the full account in the museum source.