Mihrimah Sultan Mosque by Uskudarli Cevat
I picked Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, an oil on canvas, by Uskudarli Cevat (1870-1939) not for his value or superb brushwork of its painter, nor its value. The architect of the mosque was Sinan and he was madly in love with Mihrimah, an Ottoman princess. When he was commissioned for the job, he secretly set out to build two instead of one, facing each other albeit the distance. Mihrimah is combination of two words in Persian: the Sun and the Moon. If you happen to be in Istanbul around spring equinox on March 21st and want to witness what love is capable of, just find a convenient spot between the mosques. You will notice while the sun is setting behind the first one in the west, a new moon will be rising behind the second in the east. His feelings for her, however, were not returned. C'est la vie! Dimensions: 60x68 cm Estimated value: $ 7,500