Artwork
A Turkish woman, seen from the back
A Turkish woman, seen from the back is a watercolor work on paper by the Orientalist artist Anonymous Greek artist. It dates from 1809 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This small watercolour, created circa 1809, depicts a woman in a shawl seen from behind.
About this work
This small watercolour shows a woman wearing a shawl, viewed from behind. It’s by an unknown Greek artist, made around 1809 in a Romantic style.
The picture belongs to a big set of scenes that a British diplomat asked locals to paint. He wanted records of Ottoman life, buildings and customs.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more from this series.
Overview
This small watercolour, created circa 1809, depicts a woman in a shawl seen from behind. It forms part of a larger collection of Ottoman scenes commissioned by British diplomat Stratford Canning during his early years in Istanbul. The work reflects the diplomatic interest in documenting everyday life and architecture of the empire at the turn of the nineteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The figure, rendered from the rear, suggests a moment of private movement within a public space, emphasizing anonymity and the everyday presence of women in Ottoman society. The modest attire and unobtrusive pose convey a sense of ordinary domesticity, offering a glimpse into gendered aspects of daily life without overt narrative detail.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the piece blends the vivid, dense pigments characteristic of Ottoman miniature traditions with a nascent European sense of perspective. The brushwork balances delicate washes with more defined outlines, creating a hybrid visual language that merges Eastern decorative sensibility with Western representational conventions.
History & Provenance
The series was assembled at Canning’s request, who employed an unidentified Greek artist likely linked to Konstantin Kapidagli’s workshop. In 1895 the Victoria and Albert Museum acquired the complete set from Canning’s daughter, Charlotte, after the drawings had passed through the family’s collection for several decades.
Artist & collection
![A Pasha travelling with his escort[?], by Anonymous Greek artist](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anonymous-greek-artist--a-pasha-travelling-with-his-escort--01de32b8fcf30843-w320.webp)
![A Greek woman[?], by Anonymous Greek artist](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anonymous-greek-artist--a-greek-woman--6cf3019da43d0709-w320.webp)
