Portrait of Mehmet Ali Pasha
Watercolour Drawing
1844 (Painted)
1844 (Painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Muhammad Ali Pasha, an Albanian Muslim, known as Mehmet Ali by Turks and Albanians, was Governor of Egypt, theoretically owing allegiance to the Turkish 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. …’
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of Mehmet Ali Pasha (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Pencil and watercolour |
| Brief description | Portrait of Mehmet Ali Pasha, watercolour drawing by John Frederick Lewis 1804-1876 |
| Physical description | Watercolour drawing |
| Dimensions |
|
| Gallery label | John Frederick Lewis 1804/5-1876
Portrait of Muhammad Ali Pasha
About 1841
Muhammad Ali was an Albanian Muslim who became governor 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.
Pencil and watercolour
Given by Mrs Eliot-Lockhart and K. G. Whigham 1930
Museum no. Circ.16-1930 |
| Credit line | Gift of Mrs Elliott-Lockhard and Mr K G Whigham |
| Object history | 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. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Muhammad Ali Pasha, an Albanian Muslim, known as Mehmet Ali by Turks and Albanians, was Governor of Egypt, theoretically owing allegiance to the Turkish 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. …’ |
| Bibliographic reference | Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1930 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.16-1930 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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