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Mortaza Khan Kuzzelbash

Godfrey Thomas Vigne

1836

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Romanticism Early 19th Century Portrait Turban

Dominant colour

Mortaza Khan Kuzzelbash is a 1836 watercolor by Godfrey Thomas Vigne, a Romanticism work, depicting Turban, 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 bearded man in profile, wearing a loose turban wrapped around his head. The lines are quick and sketchy, with light pencil strokes that leave some areas faint. His face is half-lit, with shadows under his nose and jaw. The artist wrote "Mortaza Khan Kuzzelbash" at the top, hinting this might be a specific person. The paper looks old, with smudges and faint handwriting around the edges. Next, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A watercolour drawing by Godfrey Thomas Vigne depicts Mortaza Khan, the head of a Kuzzelbash family encountered near Ghazni, who accompanied the artist to Kabul. The work is part of a historical account documented in Vigne’s 1840 publication. It was later acquired in 1971 from the artist’s great-nephew. The sketch is held among related works in the India Office Library and Records collection.

Read the full account in the museum source.