63. Germain Fabius Brest (Marseille 1823-1900) View of the Bosphorus signed 'Fabius Brest' (lower right) oil on canvas signed 'Fabius Brest' (lower right) oil on canvas 35.2 x 60.2cm (13 7/8 x 23 11/16in). Provenance Private Collection, France Sale Claude Aguttes, Paris, 25 October 2013, lot 68, where purchased by the present owner Private Collection, France Pupil of Léon Cogniet, Germain Fabius Brest was renamed for his detailed landscapes and scenes of the Ottoman Empire, particularly Constantinople. His depictions of the Bosphorus, like much of his work, reveal his meticulous observation of natural and architectural forms, rooted in the traditions of French academic painting. Today, his work remains valued for its documentation of the East, its precise technique, and its historical significance within the Orientalist movement. His frequent travels to the Middle East in the mid-19th century fueled his passion for Orientalist themes, a genre popular in European art at the time.