he architectural presence of both the mosque of hagia sophia and the sultan ahmed iii fountain, dominate the present watercolour. both are executed with extreme precision and accurate detailing, enabling us to pick out the most intricate of patterns that constitute, for example the complex

design of the fountain. people stand at its corners, waiting for a cooling glass of water or sherbet. elsewhere, two women and their children stop to rest. behind them to the left, two men converse, whilst in the background figures scuttle into the side entrance of the mosque. Groups of dogs are dotted all around the scene, a reminder that at the time this watercolour was executed constantinople was renowned for its number of strays and it was estimated that there was nearly one dog for every eight inhabitants.

The present work was engraved and published in Souvenirs de Constantinople, a work that has helped secure Jean brindesi’s reputation as one of the leading chroniclers of nineteenth-century constantinople. The first seven plates of this publication are engravings after the work of brindesi, including, Interior of the Courtyard of the Top-Hani Mosque, see figure 1, followed by a further twenty-one plates after the photographer James robertson (1813-1888). although the publication had no accompanying text, the book had captions in a variety of languages to maximise its appeal. Despite the lack of text, the work is highly comparable to contemporary travel literature as the order of the illustrations was ‘arranged for a specific audience’ and ‘generally corresponds to what [albert] smith describes¹ when he first sails into istanbul’.²

considered the epitome of byzantine architecture, the hagia sophia was formerly a basilica, then a mosque, and is now a museum. The present building was originally constructed as a basilica between 532 and 537 a.D., becoming the principle basilica of the orthodox byzantine empire. it was a considerable architectural feat due to the considerable span of its main dome which is supported by pendentives, never before used in a building of this structure. following the conquest of constantinople in 1453 by the ottoman turks, the hagia sophia was converted into a mosque. islamic features such as the four striking slender minarets were added and a crescent was put in place of a cross on the dome. The varying dimensions and mass

of the minarets helped to distribute the weight uniformly and are believed to be crucial to supporting the main structure.

The fountain of sultan ahmed iii, also depicted in the present watercolour, was built in 1729 and stands in front of topkapi palace. a blend of ottoman and Western architectural styles, it was a social centre in nineteenth-century constantinople. as can be seen in brindesi’s work, on each corner of the fountain is a triple-grilled sebil, from which an attendant would issue cups of water or sherbet, free of charge.

unfortunately little is known of brindesi’s life, but his work, depicting the people and places of nineteenth-century constantinople, remains a valuable historical source. Many of his works, including the present one, were published, not only in Souvenirs de Constantinople but also in Elbicei Atika. The former strove to capture the atmosphere of everyday life of constantinople, whilst the latter focused on the depiction of government and military dignitaries.

JEAN BRINDESI (Constantinople 1826 - 1888)

View of Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmed III Fountain, Constantinople

watercolour on paper 49.4 x 37.9 cm (19½ x 14 ⅞ in)

Provenance: formerly in the Vuccino family collection, members of the levantine circle, of which Jean brindesi was a member.

Literature: Jean brindesi, Souvenirs de Constantinople (paris, 1860), plate 7 (‘The Mosque of sophia’, eng. c. bertrand)

T

after Jean brindesi, Interior of the Courtyard of the Top-Hani Mosque, chromolithograph, private collection (figure 1)

¹ smith, a., A Month at Constantinople (boston, bradbury & Guild, london, 1852)² nelson, r. s., Hagia Sophia, 1850-1950, Holy Wisdom Modern Monument (university of chicago press, 2004) p.77.