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Bosphorus at the Orientalist Paintings
The Bosphorus, which divides the city from north to south, separates two continents, renders Istanbul distinct for western painters, offers the most picturesque spectacles for western artists. At times, as it is in Ziem’s paintings, the Bosphorus is the most important element in creating a storybook atmosphere for Istanbul. The paintings that have been produced either by painters who have been to Istanbul or by painters who have never been here, whose paintings don’t match the reality with their every detail, all become recognizable when the Bosphorus and the monumental structures are brought together.
