View Across the Golden Horn, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque beyond, Constantinople

Trained in Berlin, Ernst Koerner travelled widely throughout northern Europe before making a trip to Egypt in 1873 that would determine the course of the rest of his career. Captivated by the landscapes of the Eastern Mediterranean, Koerner became most famous for his beautifully detailed depictions of architecturally important sites, particularly in Egypt and Turkey, as in the present picture. The iconic vista across the Golden Horn, looking toward the Bosporus and Istanbul’s most famous sites, held a particular fascination for the artist. He returned to this view many times throughout his long career, particularly interested in capturing the ever-changing way the city’s light affected the appearance of the water and the buildings at different times of day and night. An exceptional colorist and painter of light, this view was particularly well suited to Koerner’s talents. According to legend, the Golden Horn received its name because of the golden color that the water takes on at sunset, an effect that is captured with particular brilliance in this painting. Looking at the golden light playing across the buildings and water calls to mind the line from the 19th century English poet G. K. Chesterton’s poem 'Lepanto' -- 'From evening isles fantastical rings faint the Spanish gun / And the Lord upon the Golden Horn is laughing in the sun'