Lot 31: Ferdinand Max Bredt (German, 1868-1921)

An oriental noblewoman and her entourage on a barge
signed and dated 'F.M. Bredt. M.87' (lower right)
oil on canvas
43 1/8 x 60 in. (110 x 152.5 cm.)
Painted in 1887.

Ferdinand Max Bredt was regarded as one of Germany's foremost Orientalist painters in the 19th century. He travelled extensively in Greece, Turkey and Tunisia, recording his journeys on canvas and illustrating the everyday life of the oriental harem and its inhabitants. As a precise draftsman his keen eye for detail enabled him to capture the intricacies of the local architecture with beauty and grace, before placing harmonious and naturalistically styled figures in the foreground.

The present painting is a delightful example of Orientalism by an artist whose work rarely appears on the market. Bredt portrays an oriental noblewoman accompanied by her daughter, together enjoying a lazy afternoon on their barge. She is lost in thought, dreaming whilst her daughter tries to catch the water-lilies that drift past. It is notable that Bredt chose to show this beauty not only outside of the enclosed and protective harem, but without her modesty protected by the traditional veil.

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