{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O148312"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O148312/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BE6559/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BE6559/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BE6559","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BB2223","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU1858","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O148312/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O148312","accessionNumber":"CIRC.16-1930","objectType":"Watercolour drawing","titles":[{"title":"Portrait of Mehmet Ali Pasha","type":"popular title"}],"summaryDescription":"Muhammad Ali Pasha, born in the 1770's in Kavala int he Ottoman Empire (today in northern Greece), was the founder of the Egyptian royal family. He was known as Mehmet Ali by the Ottomans, and was the Viceroy of Egypt, theoretically owing allegiance to the Ottoman Sultan, but in fact ruling, and ruthlessly modernising the country as an autocrat. He had treacherously slaughtered the leading Mamluks, the previous rulers, in 1811. David Wilkie was commissioned by Mehmet Ali to paint his portrait, and Lewis also sketched him and members of his family. Lord Elphinstone, Governor of Madras, mentions this portrait in a letter to Lewis’s brother Frederick Christian in Mysore, dated 24 September 1845.  “...I had again the pleasure of seeing your elder brother on my way out last winter. He was living in the most Ottoman quarter of Cairo – in a house which might supply materials for half the Oriental Annuals and manuals of Eastern architecture that appear in London & Paris.  He showed me a very spirited sketch of Mehemet Ali – the best, & in fact, the only good likeness I have seen, & I saw it within a quarter of an hour of leaving the original. …’","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lewis, John Frederick (RA POWCS)","id":"A8614"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pencil and watercolour","categories":[{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006BE6559","2006BB2223","2017JU1858"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"WS (VA)","id":"THES49603"},"free":"","case":"R","shelf":"74","box":"R"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Cairo","id":"x28776"},"association":{"text":"Painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1844","earliest":"1844-01-01","latest":"1844-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gift of Mrs Elliott-Lockhard and Mr K G Whigham","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"104","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"from catalogue","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"95","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"from catalogue","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"1154","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plain wood frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1044","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plain wood frame","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"35","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"plain wood frame","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This is probably the drawing that was No. 86 in the sale of the remaining works of J F Lewis at Christies on May 4-5th 1877.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Portrait of Mehmet Ali Pasha, watercolour drawing by John Frederick Lewis 1804-1876","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1930"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Muhammad Ali (Viceroy of Egypt)","id":"N7017"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"John Frederick Lewis 1804/5-1876\r\nPortrait of Muhammad Ali Pasha\nAbout 1841\n\n\n\nMuhammad Ali was an Ottoman from Kavala, who became viceroy of Egypt in 1811. His vision and energy were remarkable, and he became more powerful than his nominal sovereign, the Ottoman sultan. In 1841 he accepted the authority of the sultan and in return was recognised as the hereditary ruler of Egypt.\n\n\n\nPencil and watercolour\n\nGiven by Mrs Eliot-Lockhart and K. G. Whigham 1930\r\nMuseum no. Circ.16-1930","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["CIRC.16-1930"],"accessionNumberNum":"16","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1930,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-05","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-27","availableToBook":false}}