Germain Fabius Brest, (French, 1823-1900)

A gathering near the Bosphorus

A gathering near the Bosphorus
signed 'Fabius Brest.' (lower left)
oil on canvas
76.5 x 107.3cm (30 1/8 x 42 1/4in).

Provenance
Private collection, UK.

Marseille born artist Germain Fabius Brest, similarly to Eugène Delacroix and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, spent time under the influence of artist Emile Loubon. Loubon, due to his own experiences in Palestine, encouraged Brest to visit the Middle East. In 1847 and then in 1855, Brest journeyed to Turkey and spent four years painting and sketching the surrounding landscapes, Mosques, harbours and local gatherings in cafes and streets. Brest exhibited at the Paris Salon and painted works such as Les Bords du Bosphore à Bebeck and La Place de l'At-Meïdan à Constantinople. His Orientalist paintings are in public collections such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Marseille and Musée des beaux-arts de Béziers.

Working from sketches and studies of architectural details made during his time in Turkey, Brest would often paint capriccios, making locations hard to discern. The setting of the present lot is unknown - but due to the vibrant blue water visible in the distance, and the figures in colourful garments assembled in the countryside (within a walled meeting area) - perhaps the artist has depicted a gathering on the heights surrounding the Bosphorus.