Constantinople, le caïque de la sultane by Félix Ziem. A long, ornate rowing boat filled with figures glides across luminous blue water toward a hazy skyline of minarets and domes under a crescent moon.
Click to zoom

Constantinople, le caïque de la sultane

Félix Ziem

1885 · Oil Paint, Canvas

A luminous Orientalist scene capturing the majestic passage of a royal boat across the waters of Constantinople.

Unavailable

Frame size
Frame color
Mount
Paper type
Glaze

Made to order in ~2 business days · Free U.S. standard shipping (typically 5–8 business days after dispatch)

Where it works

A measured, grounding piece in balanced neutral tones — adds structure to a more polished room.

Often works in
Dining Room · Living Room · Study
Placement
Reads naturally above long furniture lines
Walls
Benefits from a distinct wall tone
Color notes
Soft gray, Charcoal black

About the piece

Painted in 1885 by Félix Ziem, this atmospheric work depicts a large caïque—the boat of the Sultana—navigating the waters of the Golden Horn. The skyline of Constantinople, with its iconic minarets and Hagia Sophia-like silhouettes, dissolves into a golden haze beneath a faint crescent moon. Ziem’s characteristic mastery of light and water creates a serene yet grand composition typical of the 19th-century Orientalist movement.

More like this