Alfons Leopold Mielich

Original canvas. There are scattered spots of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably along the right edge and to the faces of the figures at the centre. This work is in overall very good condition, with bright, fresh colours and fine detail, and ready to hang. Held in a decorative, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Always rendered in rich colour and detail, Mielich's subjects taken from Cairene markets, bazaars and cafés offered contemporary audiences an exotic but seemingly faithful view of oriental street life.

The oriental carpet would have been a well-known and highly costly element of many nineteenth-century bourgeois homes. Held out for both the viewer and the figures within the scene to admire, the rug dominates the composition with its vibrant, colourful pattern. The gestures of the figures in the scene concentrate our gaze on the item, which is the subject of their animated negotiations. On the right, local children are seen playing with clay pots, perhaps echoing the actions of the grown-ups. The architectural setting, with its worn bricks and decorative tiles, adds to the scene a sense of authenticity and history. The entire work evokes brilliantly the bustle of a Cairene market.

Mielich's views of Cairo won him the admiration and patronage of Kaiser Franz Joseph I, who bought several of his paintings. In 1901, following international success, Mielich was sent by the Austrian Academy of Sciences on a mission to document western Arabia in pictures.