{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O148273"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O148273/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV6629/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV6629/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV6629","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT7431","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O148273/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O148273","accessionNumber":"SD.860","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Meadow of the Sweet Waters of Asia, Constantinople","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The 'Sweet Waters of Asia' was the name given by Europeans in late Ottoman times to two streams, the Göksu and the Küçüksu, which flowed into the Bosphorus near the Anadolu Hisari (Castle of Asia). The meadow in between became a favourite resort for the fashionable elite of Ottoman and European society. Here came the women and children in their brightly painted arabas (ox-drawn carriages) and the men on horseback, to picnic, smoke, chat, wander, and while away the hours in a peaceful environment, away from the turmoil of the city. It was a picturesque scene that few European artists could resist, the natural beauty of the landscape offset by the artifice of the little late baroque fountain of Mihrisah Sultan, mother of Selim Ill, on the shore. \r\n\r\nThis is one of four similarly picturesque views by Purser of Constantinople and its environs, in the Searight Collection. Purser was probably there sometime during the 1820s and 1830s, but under what circumstances is not recorded.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Purser, William","id":"A21654"},"association":{"text":"painter (artist)","id":"AAT25136"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Water- and bodycolour over pencil, heightened with white, on stiff paper","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[{"text":"Orientalism","id":"x31272"},{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BV6629","2006AT7431"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"SCX","shelf":"11","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Turkey","id":"x29225"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1820-1830","earliest":"1820-01-01","latest":"1830-12-31"},"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":"30.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"45.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed W. Purser","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.fr. Old Hall Gallery , Rye  Jan.'63, £36  ex Sotheby's Sale, 9/1/63' [with SD.861 and SD.862].","historicalContext":"The Sweet Waters of Asia was fashionable amongst the élite of Turkish and European society for excursions and picnics.","briefDescription":"Watercolour, Meadow of the Sweet Waters of Asia, Constantinople, 1820-1830, by William Purser","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Evans, Mark et al. <i>Vikutoria & Arubāto Bijutsukan-zō : eikoku romanshugi kaigaten = The Romantic tradition in British painting, 1800-1950 : masterpieces from the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>. Japan : Brain Trust, 2002","id":"AUTH332409"},"details":"","free":""},{"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":"Turkey","id":"x29225"},{"text":"Istanbul","id":"x33871"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["SD.860"],"accessionNumberNum":"860","accessionNumberPrefix":"SD","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-26","availableToBook":false}}