The Hhareem J. F. Lewis

Ink and watercolour copy of J. F. Lewis's
The Hhareem of a Mamluke Bey, Cairo; the introduction of an Abyssinian Slave

The original watercolour painting by John Fredrick Lewis was painted in his own house in Cairo around 1850. The full title was The Hhareem of a Mamluke Bey, Cairo; the introduction of an Abyssinian Slave and The original version was much larger than the final cut which hangs in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Some sources suggest that the V & A painting is a second version, but I think this is unlikely. The original showed that this group are watching the disrobing of a young woman for the Bey's inspection, under the critical gaze of his existing hareem.