Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 263 works by John Frederick Lewis in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals John Frederick Lewis left, the most famous is Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova (1838). Close behind it come Lilium Auratum (1871) and John Clark with the Animals at Sandpit Gate (1825). Our catalog holds 263 works by John Frederick Lewis; the gallery has kept the 100 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova is a work by John Frederick Lewis, executed in 1838. This piece belongs to the Orientalism style, reflecting the artist's engagement with the domestic and architectural realities of the Ottoman-influenced regions he encountered during his travels.
John Frederick Lewis's "Lilium Auratum," painted in 1871, is more than just a depiction of two women amidst a profusion of flowers; it’s a meticulously crafted window into the opulent sensibilities and burgeoning Orientalist movement of Victorian England. This captivating work, housed within the broader context of Lewis’s extensive travels through the Mediterranean and North Africa, offers a rare glimpse into a world of leisure, beauty, and carefully constructed narratives.…
In the lush, verdant expanse of Windsor Great Park, specifically at the historic Sandpit Gate, John Frederick Lewis captures a moment that transcends mere landscape painting to become a profound tableau of 19-century British life. Completed around 1825, John Clark with the Animals at Sandpit Gate is much more than a portrait of a man; it is an exquisite celebration of the harmonious, albeit curated, relationship between humanity and the…
In A Gondolier, Venice by John Frederick Lewis, the viewer is placed at eye level, standing upon a quay as if sharing a quiet moment of repose. The composition is vertically oriented, drawing the eye upward from the immediate foreground toward the historic architecture of the city. A man stands prominently in the foreground, positioned slightly off-center to the right, his presence grounding the scene. At his feet, a resting…
The engraving titled Return of the Sultan Mahmoud from the Mosque was created by the artist John Frederick Lewis. This work is a monochromatic print produced through the technique of incising lines into a metal plate, such as copper or steel, to create the final image on paper. The piece dates to about 1838.
This monochromatic engraving, titled Sketches of a trip to Spain: Capilla de Villaviciosa, offers a quiet glimpse into the architectural history of Spain. Created by the English artist John Frederick Lewis, the work dates to 1836. It emerged from a period when Lewis was deeply engaged with the Mediterranean, specifically during his travels through Spain and Morocco between 1832 and 1834.
The scene unfolds within the quietude of a Bulgarian village, a moment captured by the artist John Frederick Lewis in 1838. This work presents a detailed view of a rural settlement, where the architecture of the period takes center stage. A traditional building with a distinctive overhanging roof dominates the view, anchoring the composition amidst a landscape of rolling hills. The atmosphere feels still, as if the viewer has stumbled…
The Port of Constantinople is a work by the English Orientalist painter John Frederick Lewis, dating to about 1838. Born in London, United Kingdom, Lewis developed a specialized focus on Mediterranean and Oriental scenes, often capturing the architectural and maritime life of the Ottoman Empire. This particular piece reflects his interest in the topographical details of the region during his travels.
In Sweet Waters (in Asia), John Frederick Lewis organizes a quiet, observational landscape that draws the eye through a series of layered planes. The central focus is an ornate pavilion, positioned slightly off-center to create a natural, unforced balance. To the left, a body of water occupies a significant portion of the frame, its surface broken only by the presence of a small boat. This aquatic element provides a sense…
is a work by the English artist John Frederick Lewis. Created about 1838, this piece reflects the artist's engagement with the Mediterranean and Ottoman worlds during a period of significant travel and stylistic development.
A Café on the Bosphorus1838
12
New Orsova; Exterior of the Pasha'a Residence1838
13
Yeni Jami, (or Mosque of the New Tomb)1838
14
Tophana1838
15
Asking for Alms1833
16
Portrait of John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby1841
17
Easter Day at Rome1840
18
Sheik Hussein of Gebel Tor and His Son1843 · Yale Center for British Art
19
The Pipe Bearer1856 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
20
A Syrian Sheik, Egypt1856 · Fitzwilliam Museum
21
The Doubtful Coin1869 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
22
The Harem1876 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
23
On the Banks of the Nile, Upper Egypt1876 · Yale Center for British Art
24
Arabian Nights1876
25
Seated Turk1841 · Yale Center for British Art
26
Arab School1851 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
27
Study of a Lion and Study of a Lioness' Head1820 · Yale Center for British Art
28
The Courtyard of the Coptic Patriarch's House in Cairo1864 · Tate Britain
29
Girl with Two Caged Doves
30
Highland Hospitality
31
A Head Keeper, Windsor Castle1826 · Yale Center for British Art
32
The Bazaar of the Ghûriyah from the Steps of the Mosque of El-Ghûri, Cairo
33
A Street Scene in Granada on the Day of the Bullfight1833 · Yale Center for British Art
34
A View Of The Street And Morque Of Ghorreyah, Cairo
35
The Siesta
36
Head of a cow
37
The Ramesseum at Thebes1851 · Yale Center for British Art
38
?A Sketch for `Foresters Stalking Deer'1824 · Yale Center for British Art
39
The Head of a Tigress (felis Tigris). Etching with Engraving1825
40
Saint Sophia and Distant View of Sultan Achmet (mosques)1838
41
A Turkish Araba Drawn by Two White Oxen1841 · Yale Center for British Art
42
Seraglio Point1838
43
Artillery Barracks, Tophana1838
44
An Interior1834
45
Four Women in ann Interior, Brussa, Turkey1841
46
The Harem Introduction of an Abyssinian slave1860
47
An Intercepted Correspondence1869
48
Interior of An Eastern House1851 · Yale Center for British Art
49
Study for the Proclamation of Don Carlos1838 · Yale Center for British Art
50
A hunting scene
51
Self-portrait sketch 1
52
Portrait sketch of Mrs Birch
53
Face of a lion
54
Self-portrait of the artist as a boy
55
Head of a lioness 1
56
Sleeping Lion 1
57
Head of a man in profile
58
A hunting scene in winter
59
Portrait sketch of Edwin Landseer
60
Portrait drawing of the artist's grandmother
61
J.F. Lewis by himself on the Rhine
62
Earl Grey and his daughter Lady Elizabeth Bulteel
63
A group of three figures, one kneeling, possibly before a shrine
64
A sleeping child
65
A huntsman with dead deer
66
Head and shoulders of a young woman
67
Sheet of rough sketches including a caricature of a monk's head
68
A woman seated in a rustic interior
69
A farm horse
70
Puma and pug at Exeter Change
71
Scutari
72
Portrait sketch of Charles George Lewis
73
A sleeping lion
74
A lion at the 'Old Exeter Change'
75
Sleeping Lion
76
A lioness at the Old Exeter Change
77
Great Mosque at Brusa
78
A man and a boy in rustic dress
79
A lioness
80
Sleeping Lion and Lioness
81
A man sawing timber
82
The Leaning Tower of Saragoza
83
J. F. Lewis by himself
84
A young girl
85
Contrabandistas1836 · British Museum
86
At Uncle Charles the Binder
87
Windsor Castle
88
Fountain from the Gate of the Seraglio
89
Mule and Muleteer
90
Head of a lion 1
91
Cannon Foundry, Tophane
92
Head of a cat
93
The Coffee BearerManchester Art Gallery
94
Farm workers resting
95
The entrance to the Great Mosque at Bursa, Turkey
96
Portrait
97
Brusa
98
Study of three Turks at Bursa
99
Arab School
100
A Halt in the Desert
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by John Frederick Lewis | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 28 | Sheik Hussein of Gebel Tor and His Son, On the Banks of the Nile, Upper Egypt, Seated Turk |
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 4 | The Pipe Bearer, The Doubtful Coin, The Harem |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 3 | Arab School |
 Tate Britain |
London | 2 | The Courtyard of the Coptic Patriarch's House in Cairo |
 British Museum |
London | 2 | Contrabandistas |
 Birmingham Museums And Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 1 | Lilium Auratum |
 Royal Collection |
London | 1 | John Clark with the Animals at Sandpit Gate |
 Fitzwilliam Museum |
1 | A Syrian Sheik, Egypt |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In the lush, verdant expanse of Windsor Great Park, specifically at the historic Sandpit Gate, John Frederick Lewis captures a moment that transcends mere landscape painting to become a profound tableau of 19-century British life. Completed around 1825, John Clark with the Animals at Sandpit Gate is much more than a portrait of a man; it is an exquisite celebration of the harmonious, albeit curated, relationship between humanity and the…
Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova is a work by John Frederick Lewis, executed in 1838. This piece belongs to the Orientalism style, reflecting the artist's engagement with the domestic and architectural realities of the Ottoman-influenced regions he encountered during his travels.
The Portrait of John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby is a work by the artist John Frederick Lewis. Created in 1841, the portrait captures a man of significant standing. The subject, John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby, lived from 1770 to 1855. He sits within the frame, a figure of quiet authority held in the artist's steady gaze.
The Pipe Bearer is an oil painting by John Frederick Lewis, executed about 1856. The work originates from the artist's period of intense engagement with Orientalist themes, a phase shaped by his extensive travels and residence in Cairo. This specific composition captures a moment of quietude within a Middle Eastern or North African setting.
The Doubtful Coin is an oil painting by John Frederick Lewis, executed about 1869. The artist, who was born in London, United Kingdom, produced this work during a period of his career focused on detailed genre scenes. Lewis lived in London until his death in 1876.
John Frederick Lewis's "Lilium Auratum," painted in 1871, is more than just a depiction of two women amidst a profusion of flowers; it’s a meticulously crafted window into the opulent sensibilities and burgeoning Orientalist movement of Victorian England. This captivating work, housed within the broader context of Lewis’s extensive travels through the Mediterranean and North Africa, offers a rare glimpse into a world of leisure, beauty, and carefully constructed narratives.…
Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova (1838). Lilium Auratum (1871) and John Clark with the Animals at Sandpit Gate (1825) come next.
33 years old: Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova dates from 1838, and John Frederick Lewis was born in 1805.
Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova, Lilium Auratum, John Clark with the Animals at Sandpit Gate, A Gondolier, Venice, Return of the Sultan Mahmoud from the Mosque, Sketches of a trip to Spain: Capilla de Villaviciosa, Bulgarian Village, the Port of Constantinople, Sweet Waters (in Asia) and Turkish Female. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 263 works by John Frederick Lewis, dated from 1820 to 1876.
Mostly in Yale Center for British Art (New Haven), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham) and Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1830s: 20 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Interior of the Residence of the Pasha, New Orsova among them.
On this page, the earliest is Study of a Lion and Study of a Lioness' Head (1820) and the latest The Harem (1876).
Animals (11), Figures (8) and Buildings (8), across the 100 works on this page.
Watercolor, for 10 of the 100 works on this page.
Orientalism, judging by the originals on this page.
Sheik Hussein of Gebel Tor and His Son, On the Banks of the Nile, Upper Egypt and Seated Turk: the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven holds 11 of the works on this page.
John Frederick Lewis, a prominent English Orientalist painter, was born on July 14, 1804, in London. He was the son of Frederick Christian Lewis, an engraver and landscape painter. This familial artistic background undoubtedly influenced his early development. His formal training began under the tutelage of Sir Thomas Lawrence, where he honed his skills alongside fellow artists like Edwin Landseer. This foundational period instilled in him a strong understanding of technique and composition.
Lewis’s artistic career unfolded through several distinct phases, each marked by evolving styles and thematic focuses:
Lewis created a substantial body of work celebrated for its meticulous detail and evocative atmosphere. Some of his most recognized pieces include:
Lewis’s style was shaped by several influences, most notably Sir Thomas Lawrence's emphasis on portraiture and composition. However, his direct observation of Middle Eastern cultures allowed him to develop a unique aesthetic characterized by:
Lewis’s contribution to the art world lies in his significant role in developing Orientalist painting. His meticulous representations of Islamic architecture, furnishings, and costumes set new standards for realism within the genre. He helped popularize a romanticized yet detailed vision of the Middle East among Western audiences. After returning to England in 1851, he continued to paint until his death on August 15, 1876, in Walton-on-Thames.
His work continues to be studied and admired for its artistic merit and historical insight into 19th-century perceptions of the Orient.
