Artwork
A young woman in Turkish dress
A young woman in Turkish dress 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 watercolour, dating to around 1809, depicts a young woman dressed in traditional Turkish attire.
About this work
This watercolour shows a young woman dressed in Turkish style. It was made around 1809, during the Romantic period.
The artist was likely trained in both Ottoman and European styles. The work was part of a series commissioned by a British diplomat who traveled in Turkey.
Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this one.
Overview
This watercolour, dating to around 1809, depicts a young woman dressed in traditional Turkish attire. Executed in the Romantic era, the image forms part of a larger series of Ottoman studies commissioned by British diplomat Stratford Canning during his early diplomatic posting in Istanbul. The work reflects a cross‑cultural visual record of Ottoman society as observed by a Western envoy.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure is a youthful female figure clothed in the flowing garments and head‑scarf typical of early nineteenth‑century Ottoman fashion. While no narrative accompanies the image, the portrayal offers a glimpse into everyday dress and the aesthetic preferences of the period, serving both documentary and artistic interests in representing the exoticized East for a British audience.
Technique & Style
The artist combines the luminous, densely layered water and body colour characteristic of Ottoman miniature practice with European conventions of linear perspective and naturalistic modelling. This hybrid approach yields a vivid surface texture while maintaining a sense of spatial depth, illustrating the artist’s training in both local Ottoman workshops and Western academic drawing methods.
History & Provenance
Commissioned by Stratford Canning, later Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, the series was produced by an unnamed Greek artist believed to be linked to Konstantin Kapidagli’s studio. After Canning’s death, the drawings passed to his daughter Charlotte and were acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1895, where they remain as part of the museum’s Ottoman collection.
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)
![A Dervish[?], by Anonymous Greek artist](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anonymous-greek-artist--a-dervish--3c8916f5a95abb6a-w320.webp)