Orientalism | Alberto Pasini (1826-1899)

Alberto Pasini (Italian, 1826-1899) Mercato in Oriente 1881 oil on canvas 21½ x 25¾ in. (54.6 x 65.4 cm.)
Mavi Boncuk |

Pasini painted a great number of Constantinople market scenes, usually including certain recurring motifs: horses, a splash of pink or light blue to pick out the womenfolk, a jumble of goods in the foreground, and a dominating background motif - often a minaret. He was intimately familiar with the city, visiting it often: it was relatively close by, he enjoyed strong political connections there (he had been commissioned in 1867 by Sultan Abdul Mecit to paint equestrian military scenes), and the general populace was still wedded firmly to its traditions (C. Juler, Orientalistes de l'Ecole Italienne, Paris, 1987, p. 192).

Mercato in Oriente was most likely painted during his second trip to Constantinople from 1867 - 69 and coincided with the Sultan's commissions. He coupled his inspiration from his trip to Spain with the great Orientalist painter Jean-Léon Gérôme and the lavish setting to create the energy and composition of the present lot. Both Spain and Gérôme doubtlessly influenced the artist, the former with its bright and exceptional color combinations, and the latter with his sublime mastery over issues of composition and space. Pasini's trip to Venice in 1876 also had tremendous impact on his work; the city's opulent decadence is mimicked in the jewel-like chromatic feast of Venetian Byzantine domes and baroque façades. Pasini's outstanding ability to render architecture accurately and theatrically, allowed him to use expressive Oriental structures as backdrops for his compositions. In Mercato a Costantinopoli he recreates the same market scene as in the present lot, but instead, in front of the steps to the Yeni-Cami. Though the architecture in the present lot is not immediately identifiable, it does bear resemblance to the structural elements of the Topkapi Palace complex.



The colorful groupings of women draped in shades of red, yellow and blue juxtaposed with the brown palette of the male groupings creates a sense of expansion and rhythm within what appears to be just a crowd. The feeling of depth is increased but most importantly the viewer's eye is invited to wonder through the composition and focus on fluid details. The experience of viewing the present work is similar to that of a curious traveler entering a foreign space - one's point of interest and focus shifts each time a brighter, more impressive delight is discovered in the composition.

Source



Il mercato di Costantinopoli, presso le mura, the market of Constantinople 1885 oil on canvas 15.7 x 23.6 in. / 40 x 60 cm.