Fausto Zonaro

Galleria Spezzacatena, Montecatini Terme
Purchased by the grandfather of the present owner from the above in 1958; thence by descent

Not examined out of its frame and under glass, the panel is in good condition, flat and even. There is only one fleck of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, to the lower right edge, partially obscured by a varnish. Apart from a pinhead-sized fleck of paint loss to the lower left ege, the work is in very good condition and ready to hang. Held in a brown-painted shadowbox frame with a cream canvas slip and gold border within.
"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."

The square-shaped edifice on the right of the composition is the Tophane Fountain, the third largest imperial fountain in Istanbul. The fountain was built in 1732 by Mahmud I and it is located between Necati Bey and Tophane Streets in the Tophane neighbourhood of the Beyoglu District. The mosque behind it is the Kilic Ali Pasha Mosque built by Sinan the Architect. It bears the name of the great Ottoman admiral and was built in 1580.

Zonaro moved to Constantinople in 1890 at the behest of his wife to be, his pupil Elisa Pante. The couple married in Constantinople and settled in a house on the northern bank of the Golden Horn. Making this his base, Zonaro became absorbed by the city's sites, customs and mores, the subjects of his best paintings. The talented Italian soon came to the attention of Abdul Hamid II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1876-1909, who appointed him painter to the Court, and granted him a palace overlooking the Bospherus. From dervishes to beggars, soldiers to public scribes, there was virtually no aspect of life in Constantinople which did not escape Zonaro's brush.

In 1902 Zonaro exhibited at the Pera Salon, which had been inaugurated the previous year. He also became a teacher at the School of Fine Art founded by Osman Hamdy Bey, patronised by the Sultan. Zonaro's career in Constantinople came to an abrupt end in 1911, when the new government of the 'Young Turks' ordered the expulsion of Italians in retaliation for Italy's invasion of Libya. Zonaro settled in San Remo, but Constantinople remained a constant inspiration. After World War I he collaborated with the poet Adolphe Thalasso on an illustrated book on the city, Stamboul porte du bonheur, scènes de la vie turque, published in 1925.