Interior of the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet I, Bursa thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level H , Case WD, Shelf 163, Box A

Interior of the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet I, Bursa

Watercolour
1841 (made)
Artist/Maker
Lewis, John Frederick (RA POWCS) (artist)
Place of origin
Bursa (made)

Lewis went from Rome, via Corfu, Albania and Greece to Constantinople (now Istanbul.) He then visited Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Mehmet I (ruled 1413-1421) is buried in a spectacular building, the Yesil Türbe (Green Tomb), one of the finest examples of early Ottoman architecture. Lewis depicted not only the tiled interior but also the rich silk shawls that draped the tomb itself, which is nowadays left uncovered. The building was part of a mosque and Quran school complex, and the priest may be the Imam or guardian. After visiting Bursa, Lewis left for Egypt, probably in November 1841.


Object details

Categories
Watercolours
Architecture
Middle East
Object type
Watercolour
TitleInterior of the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet I, Bursa (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour
Pencil
Paper
Watercolour
Drawing
Brief description
Watercolour, Interior of the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet I, Bursa, by John Frederick Lewis, c. 1841
Physical description
Watercolour view of an Islamic tomb, showing the shaw-covered tomb and an elaborate tiled mihrab.
Dimensions
  • From catalogue height: 32.4cm
  • From catalogue width: 47cm
Gallery label
  • 2016-2018 Display: Amulets, Talismans and Fortune Telling in the Middle East 30. Interior of the Tomb of Sultan Mehmed I By John Frederick Lewis Turkey, probably Bursa About 1481 Here we see the royal tomb of Sultan Mehmed I, which was erected in Bursa, Turkey in 1421. The sultan's grave is draped with a rich silk covering, a relic of a textile originally from the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, Arabia. An example of this kind of cover is displayed below. Pencil and watercolour Museum no. 718-1877(2016-2018)
  • John Frederick Lewis 1804/5-1876 Interior of the Tomb of Sultan Mehmet I, Bursa 1841 The man may be the guardian of Sultan Mehemet's tomb. Lewis depicted not only the tiled interior but also the rich silk shawls and other textiles that draped the tomb itself. After visiting Bursa, he left for Egypt, probably in November 1841. Pencil and watercolour Purchased 1877 Museum no. 718-1877
Object history
Purchased 1877.
Subjects depicted
Mausoleums
Türbe
Place depicted
Bursa
Summary
Lewis went from Rome, via Corfu, Albania and Greece to Constantinople (now Istanbul.) He then visited Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Mehmet I (ruled 1413-1421) is buried in a spectacular building, the Yesil Türbe (Green Tomb), one of the finest examples of early Ottoman architecture. Lewis depicted not only the tiled interior but also the rich silk shawls that draped the tomb itself, which is nowadays left uncovered. The building was part of a mosque and Quran school complex, and the priest may be the Imam or guardian. After visiting Bursa, Lewis left for Egypt, probably in November 1841.
Bibliographic reference
Tromans, Nicholas (Ed.), The Lure of the East : British Orientalist Painting. Tate, London, 2008 Fig.150
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
718-1877

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 3, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158369/interior-of-the-tomb-of-watercolour-lewis-john-frederick/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest