Caicos in front of Saint Sophia 

Félix Ziem, a French painter known for his Orientalist views, captured the beauty of Istanbul in "Caicos in front of Saint Sophia". The painting depicts a calm scene with a gondola full of passengers traveling by the water, with the cityscape of Constantinople in the background. Ziem masterfully uses light and color to highlight the warm glow of the sunset and the rich hues of the architecture. The painting captures the allure of the East, attracting an audience interested in the romanticism and exoticism of the Ottoman Empire.