One of Türkiye’s most celebrated painters, Osman Hamdi Bey, will see his iconic work “Cami Kapısında” (At the Mosque Door) go under the hammer on March 25 in London.
The painting will feature in Bonhams’ 19th-Century and British Impressionist Art auction, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of Ottoman artistic heritage.
According to Bonhams, the painting, purchased directly from the artist in 1895, is being offered at auction for the first time, with an estimated value of 2 to 3 million pounds ($2.8-4 million).
Charles O’Brien, Bonhams’ Director of 19th-Century Paintings, described the work as one of Osman Hamdi Bey’s most striking creations, praising its scale and intricate detail as a strong reflection of the artist’s distinctive style.
O’Brien highlighted how the painting juxtaposes a contemporary street scene with architectural elements of 15th-century Ottoman mosque design, providing a significant example of an Ottoman artist’s approach to Orientalist art. The work depicts the main entrance of the Muradiye Mosque in the northwestern province of Bursa, with Osman Hamdi Bey portraying himself in three different figures within the scene.
Bonhams previously set a record for the artist in 2019, when his “Genç Kadın Okurken” (Young Woman Reading) sold for 6.6 million pounds, the highest price achieved for his work at auction.
Trained in Paris under Gustave Boulanger and the famed Orientalist Jean-Leon Gerome, Osman Hamdi Bey is recognized for bridging the Ottoman and European art worlds.
Beyond painting, he played a pivotal role in Turkish cultural preservation as director of the Istanbul Archaeology Museum from 1881.
