Description:

: CIRCLE OF HANS DE JODE, VIEW OF CONSTANTINOPLE, OIL ON CANVAS
Italy or Central Europe, early 17th century

Description:
Oil on canvas depicting a panoramic view of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) from the Bosphorus, rendered in a vibrant and richly detailed hand. The city’s grand skyline is dominated by the silhouettes of mosques with multiple minarets, palace complexes, and defensive walls. Ottoman-style ships fill the harbor, including galleys and merchant vessels, animating the bustling imperial waterway. The composition is carefully constructed, with the Golden Horn and Topkapi Palace clearly visible at the confluence of the waterways.

Attributed to the circle of Hans de Jode (Dutch, 1590–1630), a painter and printmaker known for his orientalist landscapes and views of the Eastern Mediterranean. The work exhibits a Venetian-influenced palette and spatial construction, suggesting a Central European hand closely familiar with both topographical conventions and imaginary Eastern vistas.

In a fine carved and gilded 18th/19th century frame. Inscribed with later plaque: F. Battaglioli / 1742 (added in error; Battaglioli was active later and painted similar vedute of Istanbul).

Comparable examples:

  • A panoramic View of Constantinople, circle of Hans de Jode, sold at Sotheby’s, London, Old Master Paintings, 4 July 2018, Lot 50, for £45,000.

  • A similar large-scale View of Istanbul, attributed to the school of Jan Peeters, sold at Christie’s, London, Old Master and British Paintings, 2 December 2015, Lot 28, for £56,250.

  • A related topographical painting of The Bosphorus and Golden Horn, attributed to a follower of de Jode, sold at Dorotheum, Vienna, 17 October 2017, Lot 220, for €38,000.

Note:
These highly detailed views of Constantinople were prized in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries for their exoticism and political resonance. They were often commissioned by merchants, diplomats, and travelers on the Grand Tour. This particular example, with its precise architectural detailing and theatrical marine foreground, strongly aligns with known works from the de Jode circle, who pioneered this hybrid of documentary and imaginative urban landscape.


Length x Width including frame: 102 x 42cm

Canvas: 87 x 28cm

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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