Artwork

The Cemetery at Pera

The Cemetery at Pera, by Aloysius Rosarius Amadeus Raymondus Andreas Preziosi, watercolor, 1856
The Cemetery at Pera, by Aloysius Rosarius Amadeus Raymondus Andreas Preziosi, watercolor, 1856

The Cemetery at Pera is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Aloysius Rosarius Amadeus Raymondus Andreas Preziosi. It dates from 1856 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

The Cemetery at Pera is a watercolour created by Amedeo Preziosi in 1856, depicting a serene and weathered cemetery scene set against a distant cityscape.

Subject & Meaning

The painting focuses on an old cemetery, highlighting various gravestones with differing levels of ornamentation, alongside a distinctive, ornate golden box in the foreground, introducing a note of luxury amidst the solemnity.

Technique & Style

Preziosi employed loose, quick brushstrokes to achieve a soft, dreamy effect, with a predominantly muted color palette of grays and browns, punctuated by the vibrant gold of the box.

History & Provenance

Part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection, this work is characteristic of Preziosi's 19th-century oeuvre documenting scenes from Constantinople and the Ottoman Empire.

Artist & collection