Borekgi Hot Cake Seller

Rendered in watercolour, the drawing employs flat, unmodulated hues—green, blue, red—to define the figure’s attire against a blank background. The lack of shading or perspective focuses attention on costume and posture. Brushwork is deliberate but unadorned, prioritizing clarity over detail. This restrained style aligns with the album’s documentary intent, emphasizing recognizable types rather than individualized portraiture.

The album containing this watercolour was compiled in the early 1700s and bound in half-morocco leather with gilt detailing. It includes 54 sketches, with 41 attributed to Brockdorff, a Danish artist active in the Ottoman Empire. The work was later referenced in Le Hay’s 1714–15 publication, which reproduced similar figures, suggesting the album circulated within scholarly and collector circles in Europe.

This drawing emerged during a period of heightened European interest in Ottoman culture, fueled by diplomatic missions and travel literature. Artists like Brockdorff were often employed to record local customs and dress for audiences unfamiliar with the region. The focus on tradespeople reflects a fascination with everyday life, distinct from elite portraiture, and aligns with broader 18th-century ethnographic projects across the Mediterranean.

The album remains a valuable record of visual ethnography from the early 18th century, preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection. While Brockdorff’s individual output is limited, his contributions help document the visual language used by European artists to interpret Ottoman society. The work continues to inform studies on cross-cultural representation and the material culture of street vendors in the Levant.