Amusement at Göksu

Göksu was one of 19th century Istanbul's favorite destinations for open air excursions, and the painting portrays holiday-goers in rowboats. In addition to his portraits, Zonaro painted many women in settings from their daily lives. In the foreground of the painting we see an Istanbul lady with her face unveiled. Other figures in rowboats can be seen in the background. The line of seaside villas along the shore ends with the fortress of Anadolu Hisarı. The cream-colored costume of the figure in the foreground is believed to indicate that the painting is from the artist's San Remo period.