Lot 55
  • 55

Fausto Zonaro

Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
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Description

  • Fausto Zonaro
  • on the shore of the bosphorus
  • signed F.Zonaro lower right
  • oil on canvas
  • 40 by 60cm., 15¾ by 23½in.

Literature

Erol Makzume & Osman Öndes, Ottoman Court Painter Fausto Zonaro, Istanbul, 2003, p. 262, illustrated as Camminando sulla Riva

Condition

Original canvas. There are scattered flecks of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably to the sky and to the upper right corner. Apart from scattered areas of craquelure, this work is in good condition, with strong impasto. Held in a decorative, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Painted in Istanbul circa 1891-1910.

Zonaro was one of the last of that illustrious group of painters to the Turkish court which included Titian, Rubens and David. As befits the painter of a maritime city, Zonaro excelled at seascapes. Masts and minarets, smoke and mist, sails and clouds, light and water blend into some of the most evocative of his representations of Istanbul.

From humble beginnings Zonaro soon emerged as one of the most important nineteenth-century western artists in the city, and made a major contribution to the development of western style art in Turkey. Zonaro painted for the Turkish palaces for twenty years, and left behind an irreplaceable record on canvas of Istanbul and the Bosphorus, as well as many historical scenes. A large number of these paintings still hang in Dolmabahçe and other national palaces today.