Gezicht op de stad Constantinopel c. 1759 - 1796

Editor: This is "Gezicht op de stad Constantinopel" by Louis-Joseph Mondhare, dating from around 1759 to 1796. It’s a watercolor and print. It feels quite formal, with its very clear separation of sea, city, and sky. How would you interpret this work? Curator: Let us consider its compositional elements. Note the horizontal registers—the sky, the cityscape, the sea, and the foreground. The linear perspective directs our gaze from the foreground hills toward the densely packed skyline. Do you observe how the artist uses the ships as visual anchors? Editor: Yes, they definitely break up the flatness of the water and draw you in! Curator: Precisely. Observe also the restricted palette. Mondhare employs washes of blues, greens, and browns, subtly applied. The color scheme serves to create spatial depth and a sense of atmospheric perspective. Are you noting how the details in the city become less distinct the further they are away? Editor: Absolutely, the buildings sort of fade into the distance. Curator: Furthermore, we must examine the medium itself. Watercolor lends itself to capturing fleeting impressions, the soft, ethereal light playing across the scene. Printmaking, too, is used for creating depth in form. Mondhare emphasizes line and shape above all else. Note that emphasis, as it contrasts with what might be considered "realist" depictions of such cities at this time. The technique results in flattening form and structure as well. What overall impact does this cause? Editor: I see what you mean; the flattened form and use of shading seems to make the image appear still and timeless. It's as though Mondhare sought a more 'perfect' formal geometry in the buildings in the cityscape rather than being entirely devoted to mimicking real life as such. Curator: An astute observation! It seems that he employed these approaches for a timeless image of beauty itself! Editor: Thanks, this discussion has given me much to think about when approaching similar artwork again.