Turkish Harbour 

Konstantinos Maleas created this oil painting, Turkish Harbour, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The painting offers a serene harbour scene, but it also exists within a context of shifting national identities and political tensions. Maleas, a Greek artist, painted this "Turkish Harbour" during a period when Greece was asserting its independence from the Ottoman Empire. The choice of subject matter and the painterly style reflect this tension. The visible brushstrokes, bright colours and abstracted forms place it within the Post-Impressionist movement that was flourishing in Paris at the time. The title may refer to the lingering Ottoman presence in the region, or perhaps a more nostalgic view of cross-cultural exchange. Understanding this artwork requires an art historian to look at Maleas’s biography, travel records, and exhibition history as well as the political and cultural context of early 20th-century Greece. By researching these factors, the meaning of this beautiful painting can be better understood in the context of Greek nationalism.