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9 February 2026Exciting Orientalist opportunity
A large-scale work by Turkish artist Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910), Cami Kapisinda (At the Mosque Door) , is likely to top the bill at auction house Bonham's 19th Century Paintings and British Impressionist Art sale in London on 25 March.
The picture, which measures around 2m x 1m, has never before been sold at auction, has an estimate price of £2m-£3m.
Charles O'Brien, director of 19th Century Paintings at Bonhams, said the work has an “outstanding and unbroken provenance” and represents a “very exciting” opportunity for collectors.
“It is magnificent in terms of both scale and detail,” he added. “As one of his first canvases of such monumental dimensions, it stands as a perfect example of the merging of a contemporary street scene with some of the architectural features of a 15th-century Ottoman mosque.
“It adds significantly to our understanding of Orientalist art as espoused by an Ottoman artist who had a remarkable ability to make Western observers believe that his scenes reflected the reality of daily life in his homeland. At the Mosque Door stands as a major milestone in the oeuvre of one of the most fascinating painters of his time.”
Osman Hamdi learned his craft in France and gained fame across Europe for producing highly detailed Orientalist works that mirrored the artistic fashions of the day. At the Mosque Door was first exhibited at the International Art Exposition of Berlin in 1891, before travelling to America for the Chicago Fair and subsequent purchase by The University of Pennsylvania in 1895.
The setting of the painting is identifiable as the main entrance to the Muradiye Mosque at Bursa in western Turkey. Although depicting a real location, the work features some artistic licence including an enlarged door and the addition of a flight of steps, alongside the intense colours and traditional costumes prevalent in classic Orientalist works.
Bonhams’ 19th Century Paintings and British Impressionist Art sale takes place in London, on 25 March.