Istanbul. Rumeli Hisari Fortress. Attributed To Amadeo Presiosi.

Magnificent 19th-century oil on canvas. It depicts the Rumeli Hisari fortress, located north of the Bebek district in Istanbul, Turkey. It gave its name to the surrounding neighborhood on a hill in the Rumeli side of the Bosphorus. The scene is enlivened by figures on boats in the foreground. The canvas is in good condition, with a small scratch in the sky and some minor wear, but very little. It is unsigned. I am not certain of the artist's identity, but I have found various documents suggesting it could be Amadeo Preziosi. In particular, a lithograph with the same composition, sold at Drouot in a collection of lithographs (see photo). Few oil paintings by this artist are known; he is rather famous for his drawings and watercolors. The artist's sometimes slightly caricatured style in depicting his figures leads me to believe that this could be him. The canvas alone measures 36 cm x 28.5 cm. It is presented in a splendid 19th-century frame in perfect condition, measuring 47 cm x 37 cm. Rare.