Rudolf Ernst

Galerie Antinéa, Paris (by 1985)
Sale: Christie's, London, 13 June 1997, lot 190
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Lynn Thornton, Women as Portrayed in Orientalist Paintings, Paris, 1985, p. 76, illustrated

This condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, Hamish Dewar Ltd. Fine Art Conservation, 14 Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6BU. Structural Condition The artist's panel is providing a stable and secure support. Paint Surface The painting fluoresces slightly unevenly under ultraviolet light and some areas of retouching can be seen. These appear: 1. around the four framing edges where paint abrasion has occured, 2. spots around the artist's signature, 3. spots and flecks in the two central figures, particularly around their chins, and other tiny spots. It is unclear as to the reason why some of these retouchings have been applied and it may be that some would be found to be excessive, should they be removed during the cleaning process. The varnish layer is uneven in appearance and cleaning and a more even surface coating would significantly improve the overall appearance. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in good and stable condition and should respond well to cleaning, restoration and revarnishing.
"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."

To cleanse and purify oneself is a religious obligation in Muslim countries for men and women at all levels of society. It is not surprising, therefore, that the institution of the public bath, or hammam, developed rapidly with the expansion of Islam. Constantinople alone had three hundred public hammams, and they soon captured the imagination of Western travellers and painters alike. Except for the seraglio baths, which were the private domain of the sultan, hammams were accessible to Europeans, with alternate men's days and womens' days.  

One of the more reliable eye-witnesses of women's day in an Adrianople public bath was Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who wrote in 1817: 'The first sofas were covered with cushions and rich carpets on which sat the ladies; and on the second, their slaves behind them.' Another Englishwoman, Mrs Harvey, was more outspoken. In 1871 she recounts how, wrapped in a white bathing gown and perched on tall pattens, she allowed herself to be led into the steam room. There, 'In an instant I felt as a shrimp, if he feels at all, must feel in boiling water - I was boiled. I looked at my companion; her face was a gorgeous scarlet. In our best Turkish and in faint and imploring accents, we gasped "Take us away!" All in vain. We had come to be boiled and rubbed and boiled and rubbed we must be' (Lynne Thornton, Women as Portrayed in Orientalist Painting, Paris, 1985, p. 72).

While Ernst has worked up the setting from memory and contemporary accounts such as the one above, all the components, many of which Ernst kept as props in his Paris studio, are observed with faithful verisimiltude. Ernst depicts the interior in every detail, from the circular pool, marble floor and wall panels, and iznik tiles. A mother-of-pearl inlaid jewellery box stands open on a Persian rug. The figures' dress is observed minutely, from the attendants' costumes down to the fashionably high pattens about to be donned by their mistress who has emerged from the water - useful in hammams for protecting the feet from the heated marble floor and preventing slipping on the wet surface.