Lot 160: André-Gaspard-Parfait, comte de Bizemont-Prunelé (Etampes 1752-1837 Orléans)

A view of the the Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sofia seen across the Golden Horn from Galata; and A view of the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Golden Horn
signed and dated 'Bizemont del 1797'
pencil, pen and grey ink, watercolor in drawn mounts
17 7/8 x 25 1/4 in. (454 x 642 mm.); and 17 3/8 x 25 1/8 in. (441 x 640 mm.) (2)

Bizemont-Prunelé was a french nobleman who fled France in 1793 and found refuge in Constantinople. He stayed there till 1801 other than an interval of one year in 1796-7. Bizemont was an officer and amateur artist and engraver, who studied with Charles-Nicolas Cochin in Paris. He founded in Orléans school of drawing an dpainting. In Constantinople Bizemont befriended Antoine-Ignace Melling (1763-1831), who drew numerous views of the city. Melling engraved a series of 48 views of Constantinople for the Voyage pittoresque de Constantinople et des rives du Bosphores published between 1807 and 1819 and probably inspired him the present compositions. The two remained close after their respective return in France.