Hounkiar- Iskelesi on the Shores of the Bosphorus.

MELLING, Antoine Ignace "Desiné par Melling. Gravé à l'eau-forte par Pillement . Terminé par Neê en 1810." View of Hounkair-Iskelesi. landing stage of the Sultan. "Vue de Hounkiar-ikelesi, Eschelle du Grand-Seigneur." Paris, Strassburg & London Treuttel et Würtz 1819
Large copper engraving of the Hounkair-Iskelesi, on the shores of the Bosphorus, from Antoine Ignace Melling's " Voyage Pittoresque de Constantinople et des Rives du Bosphore."Plate 35; black and white.
The plate shows the landing place on the shores of the Bospherus, with hills and trees on the opposite bank. Various ships, and small boats, with a fishing contraption to the right of the quay. Dark impression; light foxing to sky; large margins; from an unfolded copy; minor spotting to margins; minor chips, and tears to edges of page; one longer tear at upper margin(55mm) repaired to verso.

MELLING, Antoine Ignace (1763-1831).

Melling, who was trained in both architecture and painting, went to the city at the age of nineteen as a member of the Russian ambassador's retinue, and remained there for eighteen years. He became architect to Hatice Sultan, Selim III's sister, and the favour of the sultan himself eventually allowed him to study the interior of the Harem and other palaces. He returned to Paris in 1803, but despite producing a prospectus for his work soon afterwards, only began publication in 1809, finally completing it in 1819. The plates include some of the earliest interior views of the harem and the sultan's palaces, besides stunning delineations of the city's skylines, often with members of Ottoman society in the foreground.
Atabey: 798-799; Blackmer /Navari:1105; Brunet: III, 1591; Lipperheide:LB 41. 480 by 680mm (19 by 26¾ inches).   ref: 2385  €850