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Courtyard of the painter's house, Cairo

Drawing
about 1843 (made)
Artist/Maker
Lewis, John Frederick (RA POWCS) (artist)
Place of origin
Cairo (made)

This drawing shows the mansion in the Azbakiyya district of Cairo where Lewis lodged for ten years. The house features in many of his paintings. It was owned by the Coptic patriarch, who rented out properties to foreigners. Lewis was visited here by his friend, the novelist W. M. Thackeray, who wrote an account of Lewis's dwelling, and of the lifestyle of a wealthy Egyptian dignitary, which Lewis adopted in escaping the social conventions of his native England. This drawing shows a precision in its perspectival space and study of architecture which characterised Lewis's other work and earned the praise of John Ruskin.


Object details

Categories
Drawings
Historic Cairo
Object type
Drawing
TitleCourtyard of the painter's house, Cairo (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour
Drawing (Image-Making)
Brief description
Courtyard of the Painter's House, Cairo, about 1843. John Frederick Lewis
Physical description
A drawing in line and wash depicting an ornate Cairene house with the first floor overhanging its courtyard.
Dimensions
  • From catalogue height: 53cm
  • From catalogue width: 36.2cm
Production typeUnique
Object history
Purchased 1877
Subject depicted
Houses
Place depicted
Cairo
Summary
This drawing shows the mansion in the Azbakiyya district of Cairo where Lewis lodged for ten years. The house features in many of his paintings. It was owned by the Coptic patriarch, who rented out properties to foreigners. Lewis was visited here by his friend, the novelist W. M. Thackeray, who wrote an account of Lewis's dwelling, and of the lifestyle of a wealthy Egyptian dignitary, which Lewis adopted in escaping the social conventions of his native England. This drawing shows a precision in its perspectival space and study of architecture which characterised Lewis's other work and earned the praise of John Ruskin.
Bibliographic references
  • Owens, Susan, The Art of Drawing British Masters and Methods since 1600, V&A Publishing, London, 2013, p. 97, fig. 74
  • Tromans, Nicholas (Ed.), The Lure of the East : British Orientalist Painting. Tate, London, 2008 Fig.133
Other number
E.5680-1910 - Cancelled number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
287-1898

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Record createdJune 29, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O136735/courtyard-of-the-painters-house-drawing-lewis-john-frederick/
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