An oil painting by Osman Hamdi Bey, one of the most prominent figures of late Ottoman art, has sold for nearly $5 million at auction in London, marking its first public sale in more than a century.
Titled “Cami Kapısında” (At the Mosque Door), the 1881 work was offered at a sale of 19th-century paintings and British impressionist art hosted by Bonhams, an international auction house headquartered in London.
The painting fetched 3,678,400 British Pounds (approximately $4.92 million), exceeding its pre-sale estimate of 2-3 million pounds. The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed.
The artwork had remained in the collection of the University of Pennsylvania since 1895.
Art specialists noted that the painting stands out not only for its scale but also for its intricate detailing, both of which exemplify Osman Hmadi Bey’s distinctive style.
Cami Kapısında depicts the entrance of the Muradiye Mosque in the northwestern province of Bursa, rendered with architectural precision.
The composition is particularly notable for its layered narrative. The artist is believed to have portrayed himself in three separate figures within the scene, a device that adds both symbolic and autobiographical depth.
Charles O'Brien, director of 19th-century paintings at Bonhams, noted that the work is one of Osman Hamdi Bey’s most striking pieces, combining technical sophistication with a nuanced engagement with Orientalist themes.
The painting juxtaposes a contemporary street setting with the elements of 15th-century Ottoman mosque architecture, he explained, noting that the painting serves as an important example for understanding the Orientalist artistic approach presented by an artist in the Ottoman Empire.
The sale, while significant, does not surpass the artist’s auction record. In 2019, Bonhams sold his 1880 painting “Genç Kadın Okurken” (Young Woman Reading) for 6.6 million pounds, the highest price achieved for his work to date.
Educated in Paris under the influence of artists such as Gustave Boulanger and Jean-Léon Gérôme, Osman Hamdi Bey played a pivotal role in bridging Ottoman and European artistic traditions.
Beyond painting, he was also a key figure in cultural preservation. Appointed director of the Istanbul Archaeology Museums in 1881, he laid the institutional foundations of modern museology in the Ottoman Empire.
His efforts culminated in the landmark 1884 antiques regulation, which prohibited the export of historical artifacts and remains a cornerstone in the protection of Türkiye’s cultural heritage.
