Count Amadeo Preziosi (Maltese, 1816-1882)

It has not yet been possible to identify this corner of old Istanbul. A man on his horse, with panniers perhaps containing vegetables, is taking a short cut up the bed of a shallow stream, which flows between wooden houses facing one another on the banks. It is very likely that the houses have gone and the stream itself covered over, in the numerous improvements made in Istanbul. Many such picturesque places have been swept away, and Preziosi’s images provide a record of their existence. Here, Preziosi cleverly uses a shaft of bright sunlight to illuminate the dark alley.
We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn and Charles Newton for their assistance in cataloguing the present lot.