Showing posts with label constantinople. Show all posts
Showing posts with label constantinople. Show all posts

January 17, 2010

1920s Constantinople

Step back 90 years into the charm of Constantinople (now Istanbul). This set of prints offers a window into the everyday culture of Turkey. Scenes depicting marketplace transactions and street entertainers are set against the breathtaking backdrop of Justinian's 6th century Hagia Sophia. The warm tones, animated expressions and body language of each figure and the ability of each work to communicate a story is an inspiration to illustrators. Each piece is marked "Constantinople 1920" on the front and on the back with a number ranging 1-30. The illustrations are rendered in what appears to be an opaque watercolor or gouache. It is a unique pleasure to come across such a broad collection of illustrations this old!