Artwork

Thomas Vouchicht (the wolf's cub) Peri Schicsh, Minister of the home department in Servia

Thomas Vouchicht (the wolf's cub) Peri Schicsh, Minister of the home department in Servia is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist Godfrey Thomas Vigne. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Godfrey Thomas Vigne’s watercolour, titled Thomas Vouchicht (the wolf’s cub) Peri Schicsh, Minister of the Home Department in Servia, depicts a seated figure in vivid attire. Executed in a single sheet, the work measures roughly a modest size typical of Vigne’s sketchbook studies, and it is rendered entirely in watercolour.

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is identified in marginal notes as Peri Schicsh, a senior official in the Serbian Home Department. He is shown wearing a bright red hat with a fur‑lined collar that falls over his shoulders, a thick moustache, and holding a curved implement in his right hand, suggesting a ceremonial or personal object linked to his office.

Technique & Style

Vigne employs rapid, fluid brushstrokes that convey the texture of the hat, the softness of the fur collar, and the sitter’s facial features with minimal detail. The background is left plain, allowing the saturated reds and muted tones of the clothing to dominate the composition.

History & Provenance

The drawing entered the family collection when Frank Vigne, the artist’s great‑nephew, purchased it from Charles Griffin of Monmouth in two separate transactions in 1978 and 1979, paying a total of £320. It has remained in private hands since that acquisition.