A Turkish Warrior
1843 (?)
Medium
Graphite, heightened with white gouache; framing lines in pen and brown ink
Dimensions
Sheet: 13 5/16 × 7 9/16 in. (33.8 × 19.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alexander B.V. Johnson and Roberta J.M. Olson, 2012
Accession Number
2012.539.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, artist Niels Simonsen captured the allure of the Ottoman world in *A Turkish Warrior* (1843?), a striking graphite drawing heightened with white gouache.en, renowned for hisist scenes inspired by travels in the Levant, portrayed soldiers and exotic figures with meticulous detail, reflecting Europe's Romantic fascination with the "Orient" amid geopolitical tensions like the waning Ottoman Empire and looming Crimean War. This portrait likely served as a study for larger paintings, embodying the era's blend of admiration and exoticism. The technique shines through in the...