The "Koçu" Cart

This Italian artist, who is thought to have arrived in Istanbul during Sultan Abdülaziz’s reign, depicted the life of local figures in his paintings. As seen in this particular painting, his street scenes, often including figures or people enjoying an excursion to Göksu, are depicted as a part of the natural setting in the artist’s works on Istanbul. In a number of his other paintings, Formis also portrays the koçu cart pulled by two oxen, one of Istanbul’s popular means of transportation. This exotic cart, ornate with bells and tassels hanging from two back-stretching springs, was not frequently used by men, but rather preferred by the female members of affluent families in the 19th century. In this respect, the koçu also attracted the attention of orientalist artists as a detail representing the public life of Ottoman women and thus assumed a place in their works. The artist has another similar painting dated to the same period, which incorporates the two women seen in the foreground of this painting, as well as the view of the street with several other figures in the background. This other work by Formis, which does not include the koçu cart and some of the buildings in the foreground, may possibly be a study for this painting.