The Aegean Coast
1904
Fausto Zonaro, an Italian painter who became the official court artist for the Ottoman Sultan, captures a sun-drenched coastal town here with delightful warmth. The terracotta roofs of the village glow against the hazy blue mountains in the distance, while a lone sailboat and a small rowboat drift peacefully across the shimmering water. Though best known for his hyper-realistic portraits of Ottoman court life, Zonaro’s landscape works like this 1904 piece reveal a looser, almost impressionistic touch. It’s a perfect snapshot of a lazy afternoon, showing us the lighter side of a painter usually tasked with serious royal duties.