Overall: 39cm (15.3in) x 34cm (13.3in)
Watercolour on paper contemporary depiction of a high official of the Ottoman empire. Inscribed lower right ‘Pasha of the Modern Style’. Paper: 21cm (8.26in) x 16cm (6.2in). Framed and glazed.
Bearing some of the physical attributes of Ismai’l Pasha (1830-1895), Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, the present watercolour sketch is attributable to the Maltese painter Count Amedeo Preziosi (1816-1882) who became known for his watercolours and prints illustrating life and landscape of the Balkans, Ottoman Empire, Romania and Egypt. His Istanbul studio was popular with Western travellers seeking images of the city and its surroundings. He also helped bridge the gulf between east and west as a deputy of the dragoman of the British embassy as well as the first dragoman of the Greek legation. The son of a Maltese noble who disapproved of his career choice, Preziozi trained in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts. He published his most popular works as lithographs and followed up on its success with a volume on Cairo. He received the royal patronage of Carol I of Romania and in April 1869 he was visited by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who bought several watercolours from him.