Rudolf Ernst

Sale: Sotheby's, London, 13 June, 2006, lot 228
Purchased by the present owner at the above sale

Apart from very slight bowing of the panel in the upper left corner, retouching visible under ultraviolet light to an old 10cm horizontal hairline crack at the extreme right edge, and some spots of retouching at the extreme edges addressing frame rubbing, this work is in very good condition, and ready to hang. It is held in a gold-painted frame with Islamic motifs.
"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."

In this impressively conceived and finely observed panel, Ernst gives expression to his admiration for Muslim piety and Islamic architecture, a sensitivity for which he developed during his travels to the Middle East. Mosques and prayer became central to his paintings, which reflect a great respect for what he pervceived as the straightforward and unselfconscious piety of the faithful. Ernst was captivated by the quiet richness and geometrical order of the architecture of the mosques he visited, the clean lines and vivid colours symbols of divine perfection.

Ernst studied under the history painters August Eisenmenger and Anselm Feuerbach at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, before visiting Italy, Spain, Morocco, and Constantinople. He settled in Paris in 1876, along with fellow Orientalists Ludwig Deutsch and Johann Discart, also former students of Feuerbach. A regular exhibitor at the Paris Salon, from the 1880s Ernst focused exclusively on Orientalist subjects, which brought him enormous success.