Ali Pasha And Kyra Vassiliki, Drawing, 19th Century

A charcoal drawing enhanced with chalk depicting Ali Pasha of Janina, governor of the Epirus region for the Ottoman Empire, and his favorite wife, Kyra Vassiliki. It was based on a painting by Raymond Auguste Quinsac de Monvoisin (1790–1870), best known for his historical scenes. The work is mounted in a Marie-Louise frame bearing the title “La protection.”

A native of Albania, Ali Pasha (1741–1822) was a prominent figure in Ottoman history. Appointed governor of Trikala in 1786, he seized Janina the following year and gradually expanded his power through a series of alliances and conflicts. He then ruled over a territory—which included Epirus, Albania, Thessaly, and part of Greece—with an iron fist. In 1808, he married Kyra Vassiliki, a young Greek woman of the Christian faith, who quickly came to occupy a privileged place within his harem. Permitted to practice her faith, she regularly interceded on behalf of the Orthodox population. In 1820, seeking to gain his independence, Ali Pasha rebelled against Sultan Mahmud II. Besieged by Ottoman troops in Ioannina, he was ultimately executed there in 1822, and his head was sent to the sultan. Kyra Vassiliki was spared and taken prisoner in Constantinople; she later fled to Greece, where she died in 1834.

Signed “C. Choquelin” and dated 1860 in the lower right corner.

Some wear on the paper and the mat.
Good overall condition.
19th-century work.

Dimensions:
With mat: 61.5 x 51.5 cm
Image size: 39.5 x 29.5 cm