THEOPHILE GAUTIER: CONSTANTINOPLE.PARIS 1865 Nouvelle edition,in 8vo,contemporary leather over boards,spine slightly trimmed,text clean,some very light scattered spotting in few pages,complete 578p.,overall in very good condition The literary masterpiece of 19th-century travel writing on Constantinople. Gautier was originally trained as a painter, and this reflects in every page of the book. He doesn't just describe a building; he describes the way the light hits the dust motes inside the Hagia Sophia.: Gautier traveled to Constantinople in 1852. He was looking for the exotic East and found himself fascinated by the contrast between the crumbling Byzantine ruins and the vibrant Ottoman life. His description of the great cypress forest of the Scutari cemetery is world-famous. He treats the city of the dead with as much reverence as the city of the living. Gautier notices the encroachment of Western fashion. He laments the loss of the turban and the traditional robe, viewing the adoption of the Stambouline,the European-style coat as a loss of aesthetic soul.