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2 - Leonardo de Mango (Bisceglie, Italy, 1843 – Istanbul, 1930) …

Estimate €6,500 - €10,000
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Description
Leonardo de Mango (Bisceglie, Italy, 1843 – Istanbul, 1930) “View of Istanbul with Hagia Sophia” Oil on panel. Signed and dated 1891. Signed and dated on the reverse: “Cospoli, 19 gennaio 1891.” Cospoli is the Italianised form of the nineteenth-century term (derived from the Greek eis tēn polin, meaning “to the City”) used to refer to Constantinople, present-day Istanbul. 33.5 × 20 cm. The year 1891, in which the present work was painted, belongs to the period during which Leonardo de Mango lived and worked within the Ottoman Empire. In 1883 he was appointed professor at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts of Constantinople, where he remained for much of his life and played a significant role in the artistic development of late Ottoman painting. This refined view captures one of the most iconic panoramas of the city, dominated by the majestic silhouette of Hagia Sophia, the architectural and spiritual symbol of Constantinople for centuries. De Mango was among the most accomplished interpreters of Ottoman urban landscapes, celebrated for his ability to combine topographical accuracy with atmospheric sensitivity. Painted during the artist’s mature years in Constantinople, the work reflects his intimate familiarity with the city and its changing light. The composition reveals the influence of the Orientalist tradition while avoiding theatrical excess, favouring instead a direct and poetic observation of everyday life within the imperial capital. As both a painter and educator, Leonardo de Mango occupied a unique position within the artistic milieu of the late Ottoman Empire. His works constitute valuable visual testimonies of Istanbul at the end of the nineteenth century, capturing a city poised between tradition and modernity, East and West. The inscription on the reverse not only confirms the date and place of execution but also reinforces the documentary importance of the painting, linking it directly to the artist’s years of activity in Constantinople and to one of the most fascinating chapters of his career. Unlike many Orientalist painters who experienced Constantinople as temporary visitors, Leonardo de Mango spent much of his life living and working in the Ottoman capital. His paintings therefore convey a particular sense of authenticity, born not from fleeting impressions but from a long familiarity with the city, its light, its rhythms and its everyday life.
About the sale Dialogues with the Past: Vestigia
Auction location
Auction time 07/02/2026 at 7:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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