Fishermen Bringing in the Catch

It is possible to discern traces of French Impressionism in the works of Zonaro, who had the opportunity to meet with Impressionist artists when he went to Paris in 1888. During his stay in Istanbul, Zonaro created a number of paintings depicting the life in the city with rapid brushstrokes and vivid colors. In this work, which reveals the Impressionist technique, he presents one of the intriguing aspects of life in Istanbul. The 1925 book by the French author Adolphe Thalasso entitled, 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 illustrated by Zonaro and published in Paris, includes a lithograph based on this painting the artist created when he lived in Istanbul. This composition, which appears in the “City and Life” chapter of the book, is elaborated with the addition of a few fishermen figures.