Theodoros Ralli

Private collection, Florida; (sale: Sotheby's, New York, 22 February 1989, lot 56)
Private collection, New York (purchased at the above sale)

Paris, Salon, 1880, no. 3142 (as Sentinelle perse)

Théodore Véron, Dictionnaire Véron ou Organe de l'Institut Universel des Sciences, des Lettres, et des Arts du XIXe siècle (Section des beaux-arts). Salon de 1880, Paris, 1880, p. 213, discussed
Maria Katsanaki, Le Peintre Théodore Ralli (1852-1909) et son œuvre, Doctoral Thesis, Paris (Sorbonne), 2007, vol. I, p. 48, cited; vol. II, no. 22; vol. III, fig. 7, illustrated; vol. IV, p. 348, no. 31, catalogued & illustrated (as Sentinelle perse)

The canvas has been laid onto a masonite board, which is ensuring a stable support. There is some craquelure down the left side of the composition and some lines of paint shrinkage in the man's yellow robes (visible in the catalogue illustration). There are some associated very minor spots of paint flaking in the lower left quadrant near the blue urn. The varnish layers make the surface quite difficult to read under ultra-violet light, however some strokes of retouching are visible under U.V. in the curtain below the figure's arm, and in parts of the grey background (notably in the right half of the floor, in the left part of the arch, and possibly along the upper part of the left edge). Presented in a decorative gilt frame with a nameplate.
"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."

Ralli's paintings display a high level of ethnographic exactitude, akin to the work of his teacher Jean-Léon Gérôme. This he achieved through frequent visits to the East, including Asia Minor, Palestine, and especially Cairo, where Ralli set up a studio and spent each winter from the late 1880s to 1904. The cropped composition of the painting suggests the influence of photography, and Ralli's exquisite, photographic draughtsmanship further extends the reference.