Frigate on the Bosphorus at Constantinople

Félix Ziem

Ziem was a complete painter, at ease in portraits, still-lifes, flower painting and genre scenes, of both history and contemporary subjects. Nevertheless, he is most known for his landscapes. His body of work includes numerous watercolours. In his drawings, and especially in his travel journals, while showing his taste by his selection and composition of subjects, he left a precious testament of his times. After Guardi and Canaletto, he affirmed a new vision of Venice, not of the city's celebrated sites such as the Doges' Palace, but rather a systematic study of its changing light over the hours and through the seasons. Beyond Venice and the landscapes of the French regions he visited, he brought back numerous sketches from his travels across Europe, all the way to Russia, Constantinople and the Bosphorus. These included oriental scenes, caravans in profile against the desert, women draped in startling veils on village terraces, and sunsets. His studio in Martigues was transformed into a Moorish structure, complete with a cupola and minaret.