Giulio Rosati

Chev. Alix d'Atri & Sons, Rome
Mathaf Gallery, London
Borghi & Co., New York
Sale: Christie's, London, 15 June 2005, lot 7
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has been recently restored and is in very good condition. The canvas has been lined using wax and adhesive. The paint layer is stable, but the cracking is slightly raised in the sky. Some of the original paint shows quite strongly under ultraviolet light, for instance in some of the desert beyond the figures. However, the only actual retouches are in one spot in the sky on the left, in two vertical cracks in the center sky and in a couple of spots in the upper right sky. Overall the remainder of the picture is un-retouched and in lovely condition.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

A Successful Raid is a remarkable depiction of Bedouin warfare in nineteenth-century Orientalist art. Giulio Rosati drew his composition from contemporary photographs, engravings, and others' souvenirs, rather than records of personal travel.  His sharply focused style earned him the favour of collectors and dealers, to whom he sold an impressive stream of works, in both watercolour and oil.  

Despite his selective knowledge of the subjects he portrayed, Rosati managed to infuse his studio compilations with compelling ethnographic accuracy. Here, for example, the Bedouins' traditional romh or shelfa (lance) is shown alongside match- and flintlock rifles. The latter were the new weapons of the desert Arab, and were increasingly available by the middle of the nineteenth century. Such insightful observations balance the more fantastic elements within Rosati's paintings, preventing them from dissolving into hyperbole. 

The present work is one of two variations on the theme by Rosati. In this scene, behind the surging line of man and beast, a pillaged village burns. The trophy of the Bedouins' victory is engulfed as well, though not this time in flames - with blue galabiyah swirling around her, like some celebratory flag, a solemn young woman is swept up in the frenzy of pounding hooves.