{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O146218"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O146218/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT7956/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT7956/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BT7956","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O146218/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O146218","accessionNumber":"SD.583","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Door to the Church, Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Lewis visited Sinai in 1843, and may have met Lady Louisa Tenison who was also there that year. This ancient and spectacularly situated Monastery had only survived because of its inaccessibility in the mountains. Lewis has faithfully reproduced the graffiti of generations of travellers and pilgrims scrawled on the church door in this holy place.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lewis, John Frederick (RA POWCS)","id":"A8614"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and brown wash, heightened with white","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[{"text":"Orientalism","id":"x31272"},{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BT7956"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SC","shelf":"23","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1843","earliest":"1843-01-01","latest":"1843-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"50.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed and dated Door to the Chapel Mt. Sinai April 1843  J.F. Lewis to Lady Louisa Tenison","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"According to Rodney Searight: - `Bt Christie's via Fine Art Society, March 31st 1978 [(236)], £385 '.","historicalContext":"Several drawings of the Convent of Mount Sinai appeared in the artist's sale of 1877, including 'Door to the Chapel of the Convent of Mount Sinai with the names of the pilgrims carved thereon' (250), presumably similar to (or possibly identifiable with) SD.583.  Lewis visited Sinai in 1843 (possibly also in 1842 and 1847: (see Major-General J.M. Lewis, CBE, John Frederick Lewis, R.A. 1805-1876, Leigh-on-Sea, 1978, p.21 & n.9) and may have met or even travelled with Lady Louisa Tenison who was also there that year.  A portrait of her by him was in the artist's sale, 1877 (346).  Ten years later Lewis supervised the lithography of Lady Louisa's drawings in her Castile and Andalucia, 1853.","briefDescription":"Watercolour, Door to the Church, Monastery of St. Catherine, Sinai, 1843, by John Frederick Lewis","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Sinai","id":"x39729"},{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},{"text":"Monastery of St Catherine","id":"x40856"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Doors","id":"AAT2803"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"John Frederick Lewis 1804/5-1876\nDoor to the Church, Monastery of St Catherine, Sinai\n1843\n\nThe monastery of St Catherine was founded in the 6th century. It is a spectacular position in the mountains and has only survived because of its inaccessibility. Lewis visited St Catherine's in 1843. He has faithfully reproduced the graffiti of generations of travellers and pilgrims to this holy place.\n\n\n\n\nPencil and brown wash, heightened with white, with an accidental smudge of ink above the door\n\n\nPurchased 1985\nMuseum no. SD.583","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["SD.583"],"accessionNumberNum":"583","accessionNumberPrefix":"SD","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2008-02-27","availableToBook":false}}