Artwork
Ekim - Doctor
Ekim - Doctor is a watercolor work on paper by the British Romanticist artist Charles Frederick Brockdorff. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Ekim – Doctor is a watercolor portrait that forms part of a larger album containing 54 sketches of Turkish subjects and objects.
About this work
Overview
The composition presents a standing figure in a vivid red robe, his posture upright and his expression modestly smiling, while a green border frames the image.
Ekim – Doctor is a watercolor portrait that forms part of a larger album containing 54 sketches of Turkish subjects and objects. The composition presents a standing figure in a vivid red robe, his posture upright and his expression modestly smiling, while a green border frames the image. The work is executed on paper and reflects a straightforward, flat application of color without pronounced shading.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is identified as a doctor, indicated by his attire and the title, and he holds a cane that adds a dignified bearing. His dark hat with a red tip and the modest smile suggest a respectful representation of a professional individual within a Turkish cultural context, emphasizing status through costume rather than narrative detail.
Technique & Style
Rendered in watercolor, the piece employs a limited palette with solid washes of red, yellow, and green, avoiding deep chiaroscuro. The brushwork is smooth, producing a uniform surface that highlights the garment’s color rather than texture. The lack of atmospheric depth aligns the work with a more illustrative approach, focusing on clear outlines and decorative color fields.
History & Provenance
The watercolor is one of 41 sketches attributed to Charles Frederick Brockdorff within an album of 116 pages, the remainder created by various artists. The album’s pages are mounted on differently colored papers and partially bound in morocco leather, featuring gilt lettering on the spine. Similar comparative albums, including an anonymous volume at the Victoria and Albert Museum, suggest a broader practice of documenting Turkish subjects in the early nineteenth century.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Frederick Brockdorff painted detailed watercolours of North African life and costume in the 1830s.
Grand Vizir (Ancient Dress)
Merchant
Devsirme Agayeri, a recruiting officer for the Janissaries
An Officer of the Grand Signior
Lybie
Seraskier Pasha General in Chief
Walter Reinhardt
A Zülfü Baltaci
Yeniceriagasi, or General of the Janisseries
A Bostanci at the Court of the Sultan, seated on a bench, smoking
A Solak or Kulkethüdagasi