Sir Oswald Walters Brierly (1817-94)
Ali Achmet, a boy from Wadi Halfa 1869
Watercolour | 11.7 x 8.3 cm (whole object) | RCIN 920363
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A watercolour drawing of a boy in a blue shirt and white cap. Signed and dated by the artist: O.W.B./Ali Achmet/Wady Halfah/March 3rd 18...
Sir Oswald Walters Brierly accompanied the Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, Princess of Wales on a tour of Egypt in 1869. The party set off from Trieste on 27 January and left for Alexandria two days later. Brierly made several drawings of the trip, including drawings made from the boat, and watercolours made in Egypt. Many of these drawings were placed in the 'Souvenir Album' series in the Royal Library in the 1930s. Brierly also gave Princess Alexandra lessons on the trip; she placed other drawings by Brierly (RCIN 923236-64) in a separate album.
Ali Achmet was an Egyptian boy who became attached to the party of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and according to Mrs Grey, claimed he was 'Nobody's child'. At the end of the tour, the Prince gave him a donkey and left him in the custody of Col. Stanton in Cairo, where presumably he was to be taught how to make a living in colonial Egypt. Another boy, Selim, a waiter from Cairo, was taken to England as a servant in Sandringham, where he was required to dress up and serve coffee to guests (RCIN 923248). -
Creator(s)
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Medium and techniques
Watercolour
Measurements
11.7 x 8.3 cm (whole object)
Object type(s)
Other number(s)
RL 20363