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Selected illustrations of Ottomans circa 1809 from

Stratford Canning's Pictures of Turkey

A Solak

Yeniceriagasi

Kulkethüdagasi

Miri Alem

Devsirme Agayeri

Sultan's secretary

Ascibasi

Silâhdar Aga

Bostanci, or Imperial Guard

[Dilsizi - Mute] Içoglani

A Peik

Zülüflü Baltacı

Bostancibasi, or Imperial Guard

Armed man

Arnavut, or Albanian

Sipahi, or cavalry soldier

Tüfekçi, or Palace Guard

Nöbetçi, or orderly officer

Janissaries with soup kettles and the regimental spoon

The Sultan riding out in procession to Friday Prayers

These pictures are from a series commissioned by Stratford Canning (later Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe), 1786-1880. He began his long diplomatic career in Turkey as first secretary to Robert Adair on his mission to Istanbul in 1808. On arrival Canning soon arranged to see officially (and unofficially) all manner of Ottoman institutions, buildings and customs. What made his curiosity really valuable is that he hired a local artist to make this large series of views and studies of what he had seen. The identity of the artist is unknown, though Turkish scholars believe that he was part of the studio or circle of Konstantin Kapidagli. His style combines the dense and brilliant water and bodycolour used by Ottoman artists with European conventions of representation and perspective.
As a young man, the artist and future neo-classical architect Charles Cockerell went to Istanbul in 1810, stayed at the embassy, and even met Byron there. There Cockerell (with an interpreter) met and discussed painting technique with this Greek artist whom, frustratingly, he did not name in his letters. Cockerell's copies of the Greek's architectural views are now in the British Museum. Originally the paintings in this series [D.23-150-1895] were bound in a volume. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired the original set of drawings from Canning's daughter Charlotte in 1895.
Victoria and Albert Museum, London