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THE PROPERTY OF A LADY

THE INTERIOR OF THE MOSQUE OF SANTA SOPHIA, CONSTANTINOPLE

measurements note
37 by 54 cm., 14 1/2 by 21 1/4 in.

signed and inscribed l.r.: St. Sophia. Constantinople/ J F Lewis

pencil and watercolour, heightened with bodycolour

PROVENANCE

Presumably one of the drawings of the interior of Santa Sophia included in the sales of Lewis' work at Christie's on 4-5^th May 1877 (one of lots 180, 254, 255, 268 and 269), 3^rd May 1897 (lot 29) or 24^th May 1909 (lots 137 and 143)

NOTE

Santa Sophia stands on the site of an earlier basilican church erected by Constantius II in 360 A.D. The Church was twice destroyed by fire and the present structure, was built in 532-37 by Emperor Justinian. With the Turkish Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Santa Sophia became a mosque, and in subsequent years all the interior mosaics were obscured under coatings of plaster and painted ornament. The four minarets which rise at the outer corners of the structure, were added singly and at different times. The history of the mosque explains the varying styles of architecture inside the building. In the present work the great wooden doorway, for example, reveals the mosque's Christian past and is classical in style with a heavy architrave. This contrasts with the interior ceiling which is Ottoman and lavishly decorated with alternate red and white brick.

The present watercolour depicting the interior of Santa Sophia dates from Lewis's sojourn in Constantinople from 1840-1841. After leaving Rome, Lewis travelled to Constantinople via Albania, Corfu, Janina, the Pindus Mountains, Patrass, Athens, the Gulf of Corinth and Smyrna. He remained there for a year, although made at least one excursion into Asia Minor as far as Brussa (Bursa), about one hundred miles south of the city. Whilst in Constantinople he met David Wilkie, who, when writing on 14^th October 1840, to William Collins, R.A., said: 'We have encountered John Lewis from Greece and Smyrna. He is making a number of drawings. I said I was sure he would turn up on our route~He has been making the most clever drawings as usual.' (quoted in Major-General Michael Lewis, John Frederick Lewis, 1978, p.21).

Lewis was fascinated by Constantinople's rich cultural heritage and on 22^nd November 1840 accompanied Lady Londonderry (wife of the third Marquis of Londonderry whose portrait Lewis painted) on her tour of the city's mosques. In the words of Major-General Michael Lewis: 'Lewis must have been much moved, or, putting emotion at its lowest, at least much attracted by these great religious buildings of the East.' (John Frederick Lewis, 1978, p.21). Although he found all the mosques of interest, Lewis was particularly amazed, however, at the beauty of Santa Sophia and made a series of drawings of the interior, including the present work. Late in 1841, probably in November, he reluctantly left Constantinople and sailed for Egypt where he remained for ten years before returning to England.