Lot Essay
Born in Padua on 18 September 1854, Fausto Zonaro began painting as a child and was immediately lauded for his talents which brought him acclaim during his schooling at both the Verona Academy of Fine Arts and at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Rome. His first exhibition opened in 1885, was well-received, and in 1888 a new exhibition of his work was held in Paris.
Zonaro was a key figure among a small but important group of Italian Orientalist painters that included Alberto Pasini, Pompeo Mariani and Amedeo Preziosi. The painter was lured by his own romantic notions of the Orient to visit Constantinople in 1891. The city did not disappoint, for upon his arrival, he was 'awake day and night', eager to capture the daily activities of the people, the hectic market places, the ships and frigates along the Bosphorous and the unique landscapes from which he could enjoy extensive views of the city.
Zonaro's artistic successes culminated in 1896 when he was appointed chief artist to the Ottoman court by Sultan Abdülhamid II, to whom he had been introduced by the Italian Ambassador Panza. As court painter, Zonaro donned traditional Turkish dress and enjoyed many privileges, including a residence on the Bosphorus. During his tenure, which lasted just over a decade, he created numerous portraits for the Imperial family and many historical paintings and decorations for their various palaces. When, in 1908, the Sultan was unseated and the Second Constitutional Monarchy was declared, Zonaro reluctantly fled Istanbul with his family and returned to Italy around 1910. The artist subsequently settled in San Remo, where he stayed until his death in 1929.
In 1908, Zonaro completed a tryptich with this exact composition, executed on canvas, as the central panel. He exhibited that work in his gallery in Istanbul in 1908 (fig. 1). Painted between 1891 and 1902, the present work is possibly the primary version of this composition, executed on a wood panel. Professor Cesare Mario Trevigne, the artist’s great grandson, has indicated that this is a completely autograph painting by the artist, and is an important rediscovery of a previously lost composition.
The present lot has been authenticated by Professor Cesare Mario Trevigne, the artist's great-grandson, and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
(fig. 1) Zonaro’s Gallery at Akaretler, 1908.
Zonaro was a key figure among a small but important group of Italian Orientalist painters that included Alberto Pasini, Pompeo Mariani and Amedeo Preziosi. The painter was lured by his own romantic notions of the Orient to visit Constantinople in 1891. The city did not disappoint, for upon his arrival, he was 'awake day and night', eager to capture the daily activities of the people, the hectic market places, the ships and frigates along the Bosphorous and the unique landscapes from which he could enjoy extensive views of the city.
Zonaro's artistic successes culminated in 1896 when he was appointed chief artist to the Ottoman court by Sultan Abdülhamid II, to whom he had been introduced by the Italian Ambassador Panza. As court painter, Zonaro donned traditional Turkish dress and enjoyed many privileges, including a residence on the Bosphorus. During his tenure, which lasted just over a decade, he created numerous portraits for the Imperial family and many historical paintings and decorations for their various palaces. When, in 1908, the Sultan was unseated and the Second Constitutional Monarchy was declared, Zonaro reluctantly fled Istanbul with his family and returned to Italy around 1910. The artist subsequently settled in San Remo, where he stayed until his death in 1929.
In 1908, Zonaro completed a tryptich with this exact composition, executed on canvas, as the central panel. He exhibited that work in his gallery in Istanbul in 1908 (fig. 1). Painted between 1891 and 1902, the present work is possibly the primary version of this composition, executed on a wood panel. Professor Cesare Mario Trevigne, the artist’s great grandson, has indicated that this is a completely autograph painting by the artist, and is an important rediscovery of a previously lost composition.
The present lot has been authenticated by Professor Cesare Mario Trevigne, the artist's great-grandson, and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
(fig. 1) Zonaro’s Gallery at Akaretler, 1908.