(Masi 1854–1929 San Remo)
Istanbul, on the Slopes of Üsküdar, signed F. Zonaro, oil on canvas, 53 x 95 cm, framed

Provenance:
Sale, Christie’s, London, 12 July 2018; Lot 85;
European Private Collection..

Catalogued and illustrated in:
Erol Makzume, The Sultan’s Italian Court Painter Fausto Zonaro, Polistampa Ed., 2021, p. 126.

The present work be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné edited by Erol Makzume and Cesare Trevigne.

The present painting depicts the Dolmabahçe Mosque which is located on the Bosphorus, Kabataş, in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. Construction of the Mosque began in 1853 at the behest of Sultan Abdülmecid’s mother, Bezmiâlem Sultan. Completed in 1855 it was built along with the Dolmabahçe Palace in neo-classical and imperial style. The circular arrangement of the windows, which resembles a peacock’s tail, remains its most unusual but defining architectural feature. With two minarets and a single dome it is one of the most famous examples of the 19th century Ottoman mosques. The scene is depicted from the hills of Gümüssuyu, a vantage point looking down on the mosque.

Zonaro was the painter of Modern Turkish life. He painted the daily activities of its people such as the market places, the ships along the Bosphorus and the landscapes from which he could enjoy the city. He was appointed court painter by Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1896 until 1909 when the Sultan was unseated. He settled with his family in San Remo where he stayed until his death in 1929.