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The English Fleet Anchored at the Town of Beykoz, North of Istanbul

1853
Not on view
Originally hoping to become a sailor, Melbye instead specialized in marine painting under the guidance of Eckersberg. Unlike his teacher, he sought most of his subjects abroad, where he spent a large part of his life. This striking drawing shows an English fleet anchored off Beykoz, a northern district of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) on the Anatolian side of the Bosporus Strait. Beykoz played an important role in the Crimean War (1853–56) because of its strategic position at the entrance to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean. Melbye captured a quiet moment at the very beginning of the conflict, before the Ottoman Empire and its allies, France and the United Kingdom, defeated Russia.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The English Fleet Anchored at the Town of Beykoz, North of Istanbul
  • Artist: Anton Melbye (Danish, Copenhagen 1818–1875 Paris)
  • Date: 1853
  • Medium: Graphite and charcoal
  • Dimensions: sheet: 11 5/8 x 15 3/16 in. (29.5 x 38.5 cm)
  • Classification: Drawings
  • Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2004
  • Object Number: 2004.369
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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