Artwork
Fellahin preparing the ground, with an overseer
Fellahin preparing the ground, with an overseer is a watercolor work on paper by the Orientalist artist S. Bossi. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This watercolour, created around 1820, depicts a scene of agricultural labour in a sunlit field.
About this work
Overview
This watercolour, created around 1820, depicts a scene of agricultural labour in a sunlit field. The artist's use of soft, earthy tones and gentle shading creates a serene atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows three fellahin preparing the soil, possibly for indigo planting, under the supervision of an overseer. The everyday activity is captured in a straightforward manner, without reference to grand historical events.
Technique & Style
The watercolour's style is characterized by soft colours and subtle shading on skin and clothing. The artist's use of muted tones is punctuated by the seated man's red hat, which draws attention.
History & Provenance
The attribution to S. Bossi is supported by stylistic links to lithographs in Edward Joshua Cooper's 1824–27 publication *Views in Egypt and Nubia*. The work may be one of several unpublished drawings referenced in Cooper's preface, created during Bossi's 1820–21 journey.
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Artist & collection
Artist
S. Bossi left a small but striking group of watercolours from the early 1820s that show daily life in Egypt under Ottoman rule. Three works in this set pair riders with their grooms—one shaykh and his son on mules,…
![A Shaykh with his Son[?] on Mules, with their Sais [groom], by S. Bossi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/s-bossi--a-shaykh-with-his-son-on-mules-with-their-sais-groom--240d85ba529e2bf3-w320.webp)
![A Mounted Mamluk with his Sais [Groom], by S. Bossi](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/s-bossi--a-mounted-mamluk-with-his-sais-groom--93e3f53d48765120-w320.webp)
