LONDON - Turkish painter Osman Hamdi Bey`s "A Lady of Constantinople" was sold at 3.38 million pounds in an auction held by London`s auction house Sotheby`s on Friday.
The monumental masterpiece by the pre-eminent Turkish artist Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910) was the cornerstone of the Orientalist sale of Sotheby`s which started the auction at 2.2 million pounds.
Nationality and name of the new owner of the masterpiece was not revealed.
As a bureaucrat, archaeologist, museum director, architect, poet, writer and musician -as well as one of the most successful practitioners of Orientalism - Hamdi Bey dominated Turkish cultural life during the second half of the 19th century.
As the first Turkish painter to adopt the western style of painting, Hamdi Bey`s work shows a fusion of eastern and western influences. The artist depicts a brunette wearing a costume that reflects both Turkish values and the latest Parisian fashions in "A Lady of Constantinople".
(TÇ-ULG)