The White Angel of Istanbul

Digital drawing, archival pigment inkjet print on fine art paper, Limited edition of 5, 42 x 29.7 cm, 350 USD

Valeria was just 12 and the youngest daughter of a White Russian Jewish family that had managed to flee with most of their wealth to Istanbul during the Bolshevik revolution. Valeria’s father, a former admiral in the Russian Navy, soon bought a ship and started a lucrative trade business, earning both wealth and a respectable place in Istanbul’s high society. By the time Valeria turned 16, her beauty was fabled—bright-blue eyes, golden hair, a long neck, and an angelic face that turned heads wherever she went. People on the street crashed into each other. Waiters dropped their trays. Gentlemen saluted her with their hats, bowing low to the ground for many minutes. Young women jealously looked her over from head to toe. Older ones dreamed she would be their son’s bride. And perhaps her mesmerizing appearance hid a kind heart and down-to-earth character. Istanbul’s most eligible bachelors competed for her attention. But Valeria was not a ceramic doll for decorating a husband’s home. No, she was well educated, musically talented, and most importantly, had many plans of her own.