Amusement on the Caique

Strongly evident in his landscapes, Zonaro’s Impressionist technique, which is manifested in his rapid brushstrokes and use of vivid colors, is also a dominant feature of this work. Here, Zonaro reveals a brief instant from Istanbul life of the period. The artist prepared a book on the beauties of the city with Adolphe Thalasso, whom he met in Istanbul. As part of this book, Deri Se'adet ou Stamboul Porte du Bonheur, Scènes de la Vie Turque (Dersaadet or the Gate of Felicity, Scenes from Turkish Life), which was published in Paris in 1925, a selection of the Zonaro paintings created in Istanbul were printed as color lithographs. Accompanied by Thalasso’s text, this composition appears in the section entitled “en caiq” (on the caique).