Artwork
The Yeni Valide Camii
The Yeni Valide Camii is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist John Richard Coke Smyth. It dates from 1836 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The Yeni Valide Camii is a watercolour painting created by John Richard Coke Smyth in 1836. It depicts a serene waterfront scene.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features the Yeni Valide Camii mosque, characterized by its large dome and two tall spires, set against a backdrop of smaller domes. The foreground includes docked boats, tents or stalls, and people engaged in various activities.
Technique & Style
Soft, light colours dominate the painting, imbuing the scene with a gentle, dreamy quality. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates depth, with the light source casting varying shades of darkness across the composition.
History & Provenance
The watercolour was sold at Christie's in July 1972 for £63.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Richard Coke Smyth made precise watercolors of Istanbul’s skyline in the late 1830s.
![Yeni Valide Camii [New Mosque] and Haghia Sophia from the Golden Horn, by John Richard Coke Smyth](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/john-richard-coke-smyth--yeni-valide-camii-new-mosque-and-haghia-sophia-from-the-gold--da58b2fc47388c7c-w320.webp)
St.Sophia, from the Bosphorus
Hagia Sophia, Constantinople
Galata. from The Golden Horn. Constantinople
The Bosphorus, from Pera, looking towards Scutari![Constantinople from Pera, looking across the Golden Horn to Seraglio Point, by Michel-François Préaulx [Préaux]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/michel-francois-preaulx-preaux--constantinople-from-pera-looking-across-the-golden-horn-to-s--cb81cecd6955bf28-w320.webp)
Constantinople from Pera, looking across the Golden Horn to Seraglio Point
La Pointe du serail, Constantinople
Pera
Constantinople. From the Entrance to the Golden Horn
Fountain & part of Mosque of St. Sophia, Stamboul
St. Sophia, Constantinople