John Frederick Lewis, R.A.

Possibly, the artist’s estate
Sale: Christie’s, London, 4-7 May 1877, lot 189 or 322, and / or Christie’s, 24 May 1909, lot 158 or 162 (the former, ‘Arnouts, Albanian Guards, Brussa’, bought ‘May’); thence by descent within the artist's family
 

Major-General Michael Lewis, C.B.E., John Frederick Lewis, R.A., 1805-1876, 1978, p. 80, no. 373

The colours remain bright and fresh. The sheet has discoloured a little, although this does not affect the overall balance of the work. Under the mount, and therefore hidden from view, there are several soft brown lines, which is associated with a previous mount. There is the occasional soft crease in the sheet, but these can only be seen on very close inspection. The work is not laid down and is overall very well preserved.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

After several months in Constantinople, Lewis travelled to nearby Bursa (then known as ‘Brussa’ or ‘Broussa’), where he made studies of the local people, including the exceptionally fine example here. Albanians, whose own country was poor and mountainous, were often employed as guards or soldiers to keep order in the provinces or towns of the Ottoman Empire. Renowned for their fighting prowess, their colourful costume was admired by many Western visitors. As often, with Lewis’s Eastern drawings, he takes a popular subject and, through his intense scrutiny of it, creates a powerful image with far more substance than those of his predecessors. Exactly what these individuals have been guarding or where they are seated is not clear, but their bare feet seem to imply that they are off duty, possibly in a café. Lewis has deliberately left out their surroundings, so as to focus more intently on their magnificent apparel and impressive array of weaponry. The older, bearded man wears a white cotton kilt (fustanella) with a warp-tied dyed silk jacket, and holds the hilt of his splendid sabre (kılıç); the younger man, smoking a çubuk (long-stemmed tobacco pipe), is wearing breeches (dizlik), and has a different type of sword, a yatağan, tucked into the sash around his waist. We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help in cataloguing this work.