{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O916887"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916887/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010DC6536/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010DC6536/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010DC6536","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O916887/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O916887","accessionNumber":"D.136-1895","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"Street scene outside an embassy in Pera","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The embassy has not been identified, but it may have been the British embassy. The figure in European clothes is probably Stratford Canning himself. In the distance is a patrol of watchmen armed with clubs, to give the alert when fire broke out, as it did frequently. [See D.101-1895]. \r\nThis picture was one of a series commissioned by Stratford Canning (later Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe), 1786-1880. He began his long diplomatic career in Turkey as first secretary to Robert Adair on his mission to Istanbul in 1808. On arrival Canning soon arranged to see officially (and unofficially) all manner of Ottoman institutions, buildings and customs. What made his curiosity really valuable is that he hired a local artist to make this large series of views and studies of what he had seen. The identity of the artist is unknown, though Turkish scholars believe that he was part of the studio or circle of Konstantin Kapidagli.  His style combines the dense and brilliant water and bodycolour used by Ottoman artists with European conventions of representation and perspective. \r\nAs a young man, the artist and future neo-classical architect Charles Cockerell went to Istanbul in 1810, stayed at the embassy, and even met Byron there. There Cockerell (with an interpreter) met and discussed painting technique with this Greek artist whom, frustratingly, he did not name in his letters. Cockerell's copies of the Greek's architectural views are now in the British Museum. The Victoria and Albert Museum finally acquired the original set of drawings from Canning's daughter Charlotte in 1895.","physicalDescription":"View of an embassy, with a patrol of watchmen coming up the street","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Anonymous Greek artist","id":"A29006"},"association":{"text":"Painter","id":"x38307"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"AAT15045"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Water- and bodycolour","categories":[{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2010DC6536"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"BOX","shelf":"83","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Istanbul","id":"x33871"},"association":{"text":"Painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"about 1809","earliest":"1809-01-01","latest":"1809-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"40.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"60.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Numbered  112","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":"Originally the paintings in this series [D.23-150-1895]  were bound in a volume. It was bought by the Museum in 1895 from `Miss Canning' [i.e. Charlotte Canning, daughter of Stratford Canning] for 10 Guineas.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Street scene outside an embassy in Pera, about 1809.  Anonymous Greek artist","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Charles Newton  `Stratford Canning's Pictures of Turkey',  The V&A Album, Vol. 3, 1984, pp.76-83"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Ahmet Yaşar, “Stratford Canning Albümü: 1809 İstanbulu’nda Mekân Tahayyülleri”, History Studies, 12/4, Ağustos 2020, s. 2199-2218:\r\n\r\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20221219113939/https://www.historystudies.net/indir.php?yol=dergi&dosya=stratford-canning-albumu-1809-istanbulunda-mekan-tahayyulleri202008d9223cb"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Pera","id":"x41282"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Embassies","id":"AAT108008"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["D.136-1895"],"accessionNumberNum":"136","accessionNumberPrefix":"D","accessionYear":1895,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-08-26","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}