Gezicht op Constantinopel 1841

Adolphe Mouilleron created this print, titled "Gezicht op Constantinopel," sometime in the mid-19th century. It offers a glimpse into a city that served as a crossroads between Europe and Asia. Mouilleron's depiction of Constantinople invites us to consider the cultural and political dynamics at play during the height of the Ottoman Empire. In this era, Western artists often exoticized the East. We see a city celebrated for its architecture, but what about the people who lived and worked there? The figures in the boats and along the shore hint at the lives of ordinary people, yet they remain somewhat anonymous. As you consider this image, think about the stories it tells and the ones it leaves out. How does it shape your understanding of a city that has been imagined and represented in so many different ways? What does it mean to view a place through the eyes of an outsider?