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An Afghan. Mirza ali Oscary

Godfrey Thomas Vigne

1836

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

An Afghan. Mirza ali Oscary is a 1836 watercolor by Godfrey Thomas Vigne, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Godfrey Thomas Vigne
When & what style?: 1836 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sketch shows a man in profile, wearing a turban and a long coat. His face is turned slightly away, and the lines are loose and quick, like a rough draft. The paper looks old, with some smudges and faint writing in the corners. The artist wrote the name *Mirza ali Oscary* and the date 1836 in the corner—this was likely the sitter’s name. The style feels hurried, like a quick study rather than a finished portrait. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more sketches like this.

The story of this work

Overview

This watercolour drawing depicts an Afghan man named Mirza Ali Oscary and was created by Godfrey Thomas Vigne in 1836. The work is contextualized by Vigne’s travel account, *A Personal Narrative of a Visit to Ghuzni, Kabul, And Afghanistan*, published in 1840. Comparable sketches by the artist are held in the India Office Library and Records. The drawing was acquired in 1971 from the artist’s great-nephew, Henry D'Olier Vigne, as part of a larger collection.

Read the full account in the museum source.