{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O146572"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O146572/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT7813/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BT7813/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BT7813","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O146572/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O146572","accessionNumber":"SD.653","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"View of Mount Emo [Haemus] or Great Balkan in Bulgaria with guards assembled to collect a toll from travellers","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Mayer, Luigi","id":"A21464"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour and gouache with gum, heightened with white","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[{"text":"Italian School","id":"x31264"},{"text":"Orientalism","id":"x31272"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BT7813"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SC","shelf":"22","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bulgaria","id":"x35058"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1800","earliest":"1795-01-01","latest":"1804-12-31"},"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":"39.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"55.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Lettered VEDUTA DEL MONTE EMO OGGI G. BALCAN NELLA BULGARIA CON  GUARDIE ATTRUPPATE PER FARE CONTRIBUIRE LI PASSAGERI.  Tavola No.XXII del Viaggio pittoresco del Sigr. Cavae. Roberto Ainslie.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"View of Mount Emo [Haemus], today called the Great Balkan Mountain in Bulgaria, with guards assembled to collect a toll from travellers. Illustration number 22 of the `Picturesque Journey of Sir Robert Ainsley.'","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"According to Rodney Searight: - `Bt fr C. Powney, Oct.1970    55/-[shillings] (net)'.","historicalContext":"A worked up watercolour depicting an incident during the return journey from Constantinople to England of Ainslie and his suite. Cf. another view, No.13 in the same series, Veduta Di Boschi Tra Le Montagne Del Gran Balcan  Nella Bulgaria, formerly with Abbott & Holder, 1977/8. See also Mayer, Ottoman Dominions, 1810, Pl.17, Mount Balkan, and  Pl.18, Road over the Balkan Mountain; also in Mayer, Turkey in  Europe and Asia, 1801[-06], [Part 1], Pls 10 & 11 (see SP.379 & SP.380). Monte Emo is Eminska Planina (Turkish Emine Dag, Greek Haemus) in Bulgaria. SD.650-653 were probably initally executed in 1794 during the journey of  Ainslie and his suite through the Balkans when returning to England from Constantinople.  Thirty-two similar drawings from this journey, one dated 4 July 1794, are in a private collection,  London: see list in Searight Archive.  For details of Ainslie's  party and their route, see extract from Foreign Office papers in  Searight Archive.","briefDescription":"Watercolour, View of Mount Emo [Haemus]or Great Balkan in Bulgaria with guards assembled to collect a toll from travellers, about 1800, by Luigi Mayer","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"See large group of gouche drawings by Luigi Mayer, commissioned by Robert Ainslie (1729-1812) in <u>Adam's Country House Collections at Slane Castle, Co. Meath</u>, catalogue of auction held on 6th October 2009, lots 517 to 542."},{"reference":{"text":"Searight, Rodney and Scarce, Jennifer M., <i>A Middle Eastern journey : artists on their travels from the collection of Rodney Searight,</i> Talbot Rice Art Centre, 1980","id":"AUTH351213"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Searight, Rodney. <i>The Middle East : watercolours and drawings by British and foreign artists and travellers, 1750-1900, from the collection of Rodney Searight, Esq.</i> London, 1971","id":"AUTH351220"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Bulgaria","id":"x35058"},{"text":"Mount Haemus","id":"x41901"},{"text":"Eminska Planina","id":"x41903"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Travellers","id":"AAT25879"},{"text":"Toll gates","id":"x41904"},{"text":"mountains","id":"AAT8795"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["SD.653"],"accessionNumberNum":"653","accessionNumberPrefix":"SD","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-02","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-02","availableToBook":false}}