Christie’s New York presents its 19th Century European Art and Orientalist Art sale East meets West once again as Christie’s New York presents its 19th Century
European Art and Orientalist Art sale on Wednesday October 24th, 2007
News-Antique.com - Oct 12,2007 - New York – East meets West once again as Christie’s New York presents its 19th Century
European Art and Orientalist Art sale on Wednesday October 24th, 2007 – a sale that reflects
the immense richness of themes, styles and techniques typical of the 19th Century.
Encompassing the exotic allure of the Orient as well as the classic tradition of Europe, the
sales feature some of the grandest artists of the 19th century. Rudolf Ernst, Edwin Lord
Weeks and Edwin Long’s exotic talent rises from the East, while the West’s academic
rigueur is embodied through the works of Giovanni Boldini, Georges Vibert, Alexandre
Cabanel, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Franz Von Stuck and Alphonse Mucha.
The Orientalists
Like a journey to the depths of a mysterious and unknown land, the Orientalists, which start
off the October 24th sale, will awaken one’s sense of exotic scents and evoke travels through
ancient times.
A brilliant highlight of the sale is The Return from the Tiger
Hunt (estimate: $650,000-850,000). Dating back to
1896, this magnificent oeuvre represents one of the
finest and favorite works of one of the most celebrated
and sought-after Orientalist artists of the 19th century :
Rudolf Ernst. Born in Vienna in 1854, the son of the
architectural painter Leopold Ernst, the young Rudolph
began his travels through Morocco, Tunis, Turkey and
Egypt early in life. Heavily influenced by the academic style of Jean-Louis Gérôme, Ernst is
famous for the precision of detail and the intensity of color in his paintings. The bold and
elegant color combinations of the hunters’ costumes and the photographic precision of the
painting, confirm Ernst’s signature style. Also by Ernst, is an exceptional work that confirms
the artist’s vast knowledge of Middle Eastern culture, architecture, costume and decoration,
Outside the Selim Türbe, Constantinople (estimate : $500,000-700,000).
Born near Boston, Edwin Lord Weeks traveled far from his home-town to encounter and
capture scenes from the great city of Lahore, “the
gateway to India”, in 1888. Captivated by the
great mosque of Vazir Kahn, Weeks used the
building in a series of paintings. In Steps of the
Mosque Vazir khan, Lahore, (estimate: $500,000-
700,000) the artist paints the mosque close-in,
almost as if the grand steps and the entry door
form an operatic stage set – exotic and full of
colorful detail – for the drama of daily life in the
city square. For Weeks, it was the perfect subject
– a complex, colorful, exotic architectural backdrop in a brilliant sunlit setting, serving as the
perfect foil for an opulent array of animals and figures from noble to common.
Very well received at the 1880 Royal Academy, Edwin Long’s The
Assyrian Captive (estimate: $300,000-500,000) is a splendid example of the
exploration of the ancient world. The harp by the young girl’s side
demonstrates the employment of captives as musicians at the time, and
their duty to ‘entertain their masters with their native melodies’. Devoted
to archaeological accuracy, Long’s The Assyrian Captive is both an artistic
and historic masterpiece.
