aristocratic families to study art or at least painting. Drawing in pencil, ink and sepia were the principal techniques taught. But as the influence of French and British schools became prevalent watercolor and gouache became more popular mediums. Aristocrats acquired the habit of making sketches during their travels. The importance of such drawings in documenting the period before the invention of Photography is undeniable.

SOLDIER, DIPLOMAT, ARTIST
As amateur artists, diplomats made drawings and paintings during their sojourns in their assigned countries. But few achieved fame for their painting. One exception is Carl Gustaf Löwenhielm, Swedish ambassador to Istanbul from 1824 to 1827, who made over 250 paintings of Ottoman subjects in various sizes and techniques.
Born in 1790, Carl Gustaf Löwenhielm’s military career was far from ordinary. He enlisted in the army at age 19. When he was 22, he was sent on his first diplomatic mission as defense attaché to the Swedish Embassy at St. Petersburg.