Constantinople, View of the Golden Horn with a Self-Portrait of the Artist Sketching by Ivan Aivazovsky

Constantinople, View of the Golden Horn with a Self-Portrait of the Artist Sketching - Ivan Aivazovsky - Oil Painting Wall Decor

At a Glance

Constantinople, View of the Golden Horn with a Self-Portrait of the Artist Sketching - Ivan Aivazovsky - Oil Painting Wall Decor is part of our hand painted oil painting collection from the Ivan Aivazovsky Paintings selection. Each canvas is worked by a trained artist, then inspected before dispatch — a practical route to owning romantic wall decor at a fraction of gallery pricing.

About the Artwork

1880
Oil on canvas

Ivan Aivazovsky first visited Constantinople during a voyage along the coast of Asia minor with Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich in 1845.

The impression which the Ottoman capital made on the young Aivazovsky was a lasting and powerful one.

There is probably nowhere in the world as majestic as that city; when one is there one forgets about Naples and Venice!

Although he returned there only four more times during his life, he painted a view of Constantinople almost every year, working from memory. The offered lot was executed six years after his visit of 1874, when he was invited by Sultan Abdülaziz to decorate the Dolmabah?e Palace with landscapes. 1880 was also the year in which Aivazovsky opened his gallery in Theodosia.

Self-portraiture is exceedingly rare in Aivazovsky's repertoire, but it is not surprising that he should choose to be in a view of the one city that dominated his landscape oeuvre. Equally he seeks to hide himself in the shade of the trees, focusing the viewer's eye on the Constantinople skyline glinting in the setting sun. Such transitions of colour are a key element of the artist's work, and here also show the contrast between the bustle of the city and harbour, and the rural peace in which he chooses to sketch.

As office wall decor, the piece pairs naturally with other romantic wall art and with warm neutrals, timber, and soft natural light.

Materials & Craftsmanship

We use a 100% hand-painted process: stretched artist-grade canvas, layered oil pigment, and a final protective varnish. There are no inkjet prints or mechanical reproductions in this collection — just a painted figurative artwork made to order.

Product Details

• A true oil-on-canvas painting produced manually by our artists — not a mass-produced print.
• Comes with a 2-inch unpainted margin on every side, ready for stretcher bars or a frame.
• Direct-from-studio worldwide delivery with no third-party resellers.
• Quick turnaround — most in-stock figurative paintings ship in 3–10 working days.
• Available canvas sizes for this hand painted oil painting: 20 X 24 in, 24 X 36 in, 30 X 40 in, 36 X 48 in, 48 X 72 in.
• Custom canvas dimensions are welcome for this portrait oil painting.
• Affordable delivery options via DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS and more.
• We stretch your canvas onto wooden bars at no extra charge, and can arrange custom framing.
• A digital photo of your finished painting is emailed for approval before shipment.

Wall Decor & Gifting

Build a home office gallery wall around this portrait oil painting, or let it stand alone as a single statement. The hand painted canvas finish keeps the figurative composition looking intentional in both classic and contemporary rooms.

Delivery, Sizes & Guarantee