'Outside Constantinople', Orientalist oil painting by Wegner

This large painting depicts the landscape around Constantinople, present day Istanbul. The vantage point is from the eastern—or Asian—side of the Bosphorus, looking across the Sea of Marmara towards the ancient headland known as Sarayburnu, the centuries old heart of the city.

The painting portrays two figures—one on horseback, one seated on steps—at some distance from the city, the buildings of which are illumed a subtle pink by the soft evening light. The distant cityscape is framed by a former Orthodox church—now a mosque—to the left, and a small fountain to the right, both architectural features surrounded by tall cypresses and cedars.

The painterly manner is superb: fine, delicate brushstrokes and a soft, warm palette combine to produce a spectacular example of early 20^th Century Orientalist painting.

The painting is signed and dated lower left ‘Prof. H. Wegner / 1904’ and is contained within a fine carved giltwood frame.

Frame: Height 100cm, width 123cm, depth 8cm
Canvas: Height 76cm, width 101cm