Artwork

Garabed Artin Davoud Oghlou Ci-devant Chargé daffaires de Turquie à Berlin

Garabed Artin Davoud Oghlou Ci-devant Chargé daffaires de Turquie à Berlin is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist Godfrey Thomas Vigne. It dates from 1843 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

This watercolor, executed in 1843 by the English traveler Godfrey Thomas Vigne, portrays Garabed Artin Davoud Oghlou—also known as Dawud Pasha—an Armenian Catholic diplomat from Constantinople. The portrait presents him in profile, his features rendered with swift, sketch‑like strokes that suggest a rapid execution, perhaps from memory.

Subject & Meaning

Oghlou served in several high‑profile Ottoman posts, including attaché at the Ottoman Embassy in Berlin, Consul‑General in Vienna, Superintendent of Posts and Telegraph in Constantinople, and later as the inaugural Mutasarrif of Mount Lebanon (1861‑1868). The portrait’s formal yet informal style reflects his diplomatic stature while hinting at the personal character conveyed by his serious expression and prominent moustache.

Technique & Style

Rendered in watercolor on paper, the work employs a limited palette dominated by a vivid red hat with a dark blue band, a white scarf, and muted flesh tones. The loose, gestural brushwork and minimal detailing give the image a spontaneous quality, characteristic of travel sketches intended to capture likenesses quickly.

History & Provenance

After Vigne’s death, the drawing entered the family collection of his great‑nephew Frank Vigne. It was later purchased from Charles Griffin of Monmouth in two separate transactions in August 1978 and July 1979, before becoming part of the museum’s holdings.