Amedeo Preziosi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amedeo Preziosi
Amedeo Preziosi
Born	Aloysius-Rosarius-Amadeus-Raymundus-Andreas (1816-12-02)2 December 1816 Crown Colony of Malta
Died	27 September 1882(1882-09-27) (aged 65) Yeşilköy, Ottoman Empire
Nationality	Maltese
Education	École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
Known for	Painting
Notable work	Costumes of Constantinople album, Stamboul, Recollections of Eastern Life album, Souvenir du Caïre album, La Valachie par Preziosi sketchbook
Movement	Neoclassicism, Romanticism

Amedeo Preziosi, a photograph of the artist.

Amedeo Preziosi (born December 2, 1816 – died September 27, 1882) was a talented Maltese painter. He was famous for his beautiful watercolours and prints. His art often showed scenes from the Balkans, the Ottoman Empire (which is now mostly Turkey), and Romania.

A Young Artist's Journey

Amedeo Preziosi was born in 1816 into an important family in Malta. His father, Giovanni Francesco Preziosi, held high positions in the local government. He even represented the Maltese people in important talks in 1802. Amedeo's mother, Margareta, was from France.

Amedeo was the first child in his family. He was given a very long name: Aloysius-Rosarius-Amadeus-Raymundus-Andreas. His younger brother, Leandro Preziosi, later became one of the first people to take photographs in Malta.

From a young age, Amedeo loved art. He learned to paint from Giuseppe Hyzler, a well-known painter in Malta. However, Amedeo's father wanted him to study law. He sent Amedeo to study at the Law School in Sorbonne, Paris. But Amedeo was more interested in art. He secretly continued his painting studies at the famous École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts).

Moving to Istanbul

When Amedeo returned to Malta, he found it hard to be an artist. His father still didn't approve of his choice. So, Amedeo decided to leave Malta. He moved to the Near East, a place many artists in Paris admired. We don't know the exact year he moved to Istanbul, but it was likely between 1840 and 1842.

His earliest drawings of Istanbul are from November 1842. In 1844, a few years later, Preziosi got an important job. Robert Curzon, who worked for the British Ambassador in Istanbul, asked him to create an album. This album was called Costumes of Constantinople. Today, you can find it in the British Museum.

In those days, postcards were new, and photography was just starting. Preziosi's drawings were very popular. European tourists visiting Istanbul loved to buy his art. It showed them the city and its surroundings.

In 1858, he decided to turn his most popular drawings into prints called lithographs. He worked with the Lemercier workshop in Paris. The album was called Stamboul, Recollections of Eastern Life. It was re-released in 1861 as Stamboul, Souvenir d'Orient. Preziosi himself drew the pictures onto the printing stones. He also published another album, Souvenir du Caïre, with drawings from his trip to Egypt.

Life in Istanbul

Preziosi married a Greek woman from Istanbul. They had four children: Mathilde, Giulia, Catherine, and Roberto. They lived in Pera and later moved to a quiet village called San Stefano (now Yeşilköy). This village was away from the busy city.

Preziosi was very good at languages. He spoke Greek and Turkish, as well as English, French, and Italian. He worked as a helper for the British Embassy's dragoman (an official interpreter). He also became the main interpreter for the Greek legation (a type of embassy).

Many tourists visited his art workshop to buy souvenirs of Istanbul. In April 1869, Edward VII, who was then the Prince of Wales (and later King of the United Kingdom), visited him. The Prince bought several watercolours from Preziosi.

In 1866, Carol I, the new Prince of Romania, visited Istanbul. He met Preziosi and invited him to Romania. Prince Carol wanted Preziosi to paint the landscapes and people of Romania.

Trips to Romania

Preziosi went to Romania in June 1868. He started drawing scenes from Bucharest and other parts of the country. Some of his drawings even showed Prince Carol I. He would turn these sketches into watercolours in his Istanbul workshop. Then, he would sell them to the Prince of Romania. The prices ranged from 300 to 1200 Francs.

The next year, from May to July 1869, Preziosi visited Romania again. His drawings from this trip, made with pencil, ink, and watercolours, are in a sketchbook. It's called La Valachie par Preziosi and is now at the Municipal Museum in Bucharest.

After his last trip to Romania, we don't know much about Preziosi's later life. He kept creating art in Istanbul. However, photography became very popular. It was cheaper and easier to make many copies of a photograph. Because of this, his watercolours were not as profitable anymore.

Preziosi's grave in the old Roman Catholic churchyard in Yeşilköy, Istanbul.

Amedeo Preziosi died in an accidental gun discharge while he was hunting. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery in Yeşilköy, Istanbul.

Legacy

After Preziosi passed away, his artworks were mostly forgotten for many years. In Bucharest, his works were shown to the public again in 1934. In 1985, some of his art was part of an exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. This show was dedicated to him. In 2003, the Museum of Bucharest also organized an exhibition of his works.

Works

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  The Grand Bazaar

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  The Silk Bazaar

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  Arabian ox cart

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  A café in Istanbul

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  Sufi whirling

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  Istanbul boats

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  Dâmbovița River in Bucharest

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  Visit of Carol I at Pasărea Monastery, Wallachia

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  Albanian Mercenaries

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  In a Turkish Park

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  The Tea Seller from Souvenir of Cairo 1862

Images for kids

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  Ottoman Dervish portrayed by Amedeo Preziosi, 1860s circa, Muzeul Naţional de Artă al României