Osman Hamdi Bey’s lost painting to be auctioned

ISTANBUL

The long-lost painting “Preparing Coffee” by Osman Hamdi Bey is set to go on sale in London.

The piece is expected to fetch between 1 million and 1.5 million pounds (approximately 50–75 million Turkish Liras) at Sotheby’s “Orientalist Art” auction on April 29.

A pioneer of Turkish painting, Osman Hamdi Bey’s rare work from 1881 had long been known only through a black-and-white photograph taken by the 19th-century Ottoman photography studio Sebah & Joaillier.

Until recently, the painting had been held in a private collection in Austria.

Claude Piening, Sotheby’s Senior International Specialist for 19th Century European Paintings, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the piece was an unexpected rediscovery.

“The painting was previously in collections located in Georgia and Azerbaijan. So it makes sense that it would have reached Vienna from Istanbul via those countries. A gentleman I’ve known for many years suggested the painting to me. He had bought it from someone who had acquired it a few years earlier from a European family who had held onto it for nearly 75 years,” Piening said.

Piening emphasized the importance of the work’s origin, dating back to 1881 — one of the artist’s most productive periods — and said, “It’s a small-scale work, signed and dated in Latin script, which indicates that it was made for a European collection rather than a Turkish one. I think it’s a truly beautiful painting, as it depicts the space with great respect. Two women are seen washing their hands before serving coffee. On the side, you can see a coffee pot and cups waiting to be filled.”

Piening praised the painting’s use of coffee, a symbol of Turkish culture, as the central motif, adding, “I believe this element embodies a distinctly Turkish or Ottoman feature. Another striking aspect is that it is painted in a style we could describe as French academic. As you know, Osman Hamdi Bey was among the first Turkish artists to bring the French style of painting to Türkiye. He also encouraged local artists to adopt this style. So, while the subject is clearly Turkish and portrayed through the eyes of a Turkish painter, it is not rendered in a style unique to Türkiye. Rather, it reflects the approach he learned while studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in France. In this sense, the painting is a bridge between cultures.”

Originally acquired around 1910 by Georgian art collector Prince Sadiq Yadigarov, the painting is considered a masterwork — an emblem of Osman Hamdi Bey’s aesthetic finesse and cultural sensitivity. It depicts two young women engaged in the ritual of coffee preparation, washing their hands before serving.