Artwork
A Dervish - Constantinople
A Dervish - Constantinople is a watercolor work on paper by the Orientalist artist J. Pease. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
A Dervish - Constantinople is a watercolour painting created in 1845 by J. Pease, depicting a seated Mevlevi dervish in a contemplative pose.
Subject & Meaning
The dervish, dressed in traditional attire, sits cross-legged on the ground, holding a string of beads, in a Turkish cemetery in Constantinople's Pera district, with a cityscape and body of water in the background.
Technique & Style
The painting's tranquil atmosphere is achieved through its use of colour and composition, drawing attention to the subject, and is associated with the Romanticism movement.
History & Provenance
The work is one of multiple versions by the artist, with variations in title and location; it was purchased in Salisbury in May 1965 for ten shillings.
Artist & collection
Artist
J. Pease spent the 1840s wandering Constantinople with a pocket sketchbook and a knack for catching a moment mid-spin, like this whirling dervish in watercolor who looks like he’s about to step off the page. At a time…
![A Dervish[?], by Anonymous Greek artist](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/anonymous-greek-artist--a-dervish--3c8916f5a95abb6a-w320.webp)
A Dervish[?]
Sheykh of the Rufai Dervishes
An official in the Sultan's palace
Mahmoud - Athens -
An Official at the Court of the Sultan
Persian Shawl-Merchant
A seller of Fezes and Amber mouthpieces
Bostancibasi, or member of the Imperial Guard
An Ottoman Military officer, possibly the Yeniçeriagasi, or Commander-in-chief of the Janissaries
Zülüflü Baltaci, or Page of the first rank to the Sultan