Turkish Men, Giovanni Jean Brindesi (1826 – 1888)

Giovanni Jean BRINDESI 1826 – 1888 Istanbul Techniques: Watercolor on cardboard, signed: Brindesi Lower right Dimensions: 29 x 22 cm unframed - 41 x 34 cm framed Giovanni Jean Brindesi (1826-1888) began his career as a watercolorist and lived in Istanbul during the reign of Abdul Mecit (1831-1861). His main work consisted of depicting scenes from the public, private and military life of the city. His studio was in the Pera district and his grave is in the Catholic cemetery in the Feriköy district. His paintings were lithographed by the Lemercier publishing house in Paris and published in two albums (1855-1860). The first album presents a series of costumes, mainly of Ottoman officials, and the second scenes from daily life in Istanbul. Brindesi's original drawings are preserved in the Topkapi Palace Museum and Istanbul University. In the 19th century, Orientalism, an artistic and literary movement marked by the cult of mystery and oriental exoticism, offered the Western European public a rich entertainment and leisure. Leading and lesser-known artists created graphic works, either from their own imagination or as a result of a trip to the Orient, and often rendered exaggerated and idealized images of people and places. The present work "Souvenirs de Constantinople", which was published only once, includes picturesque snapshots of life in the Ottoman capital, its environs and in Bursa. The depictions of vehicles, such as carriages, are particularly interesting. Although he did not leave many works, Brindesi is one of the most remarkable figures of Orientalism. Brindesi's drawings were published in color lithographs by several other artists, such as Ch. Bour, Hadamard, J. Gaildrau, A. Charpentier, Gilbert, Bayot, Schultz, and Sorrieu. The watercolor depicts three people dressed in traditional Near Eastern clothing from the Ottoman era. These people are talking, one of them standing and the other two sitting. The clothing, including fezzes and robes, and the background refer to the bustling streets of Istanbul.