The conglomeration of a number of sketches into one engraving was a common practice amongst the artists that worked for periodicals during the first years of British rule in Cyprus. These engraving looked to inform the public about the new colony.
A number of Cypriot peasants, women, children and the elderly, are lined in a row affording an overview of native costumes. Amongst them, a middle-aged man, most probably a local in the service of the British, if one is to judge by his apparel. He is wearing riding pantaloons and a vest of western style. He is probably a member of the Pioneer Regiment.
The main scene portrays the rulers in Victorian clothes tasting wine from a peasant’s cellar. The peasant and probably his wife appear servile and hospitable. He is using a long wooden instrument commonly employed in the Middle East by street peddlers to disperse liquids and avoid physical contact, thus denoting social distance.
A small sketch presents a Turkish convict in forced labour under the surveillance of a British guard.
The final sketch spreads across the top part of the engraving constituting a random view of Larnaca with a seated female in the foreground. The accent is on two minarets misleadingly suggesting that Larnaca is an exclusively Turkish town. The title of the engraving also suggests a political controversy in British political circles regarding the desirability of Cyprus as an acquisition.
PNT-00233 > Unknown, The question of the retention of Cyprus, sketches in the island., Engraving, 40 x 29 cm, 13.04.1895.
The 'Sneak Peek' series is supported by OPAP (Cyprus).
