Orientalist Paintings

S otheby’s is the market leader in Orientalist art, offering the finest 19th‑century European paintings depicting Turkey, North Africa, the Gulf and the Middle East. As demand continues to rise across the region and the wider Islamic world today, Sotheby’s consistently achieves record results for major Orientalist artists including Jean‑Léon Gérôme, Ludwig Deutsch, Gustav Bauernfeind, Rudolf Ernst, Eugène Delacroix, Osman Hamdy Bey and Frederick Arthur Bridgman. These exceptional works remain central to the European Paintings market and continue to attract an increasingly international collector base.

With a legacy that includes the landmark 1985 Coral Petroleum sale and the historic 2019 auction of 36 works from the Najd Collection—which achieved £33.5 million and set ten new artist world records—Sotheby’s has shaped the global market for Orientalist paintings for decades. Our success is driven by a trusted international team with deep regional expertise and long‑standing relationships with collectors, institutions and advisors. With representatives in Istanbul, Cairo and Abu Dhabi, and dedicated specialists in London and New York, Sotheby’s is uniquely positioned to reach new buyers as interest in Orientalist art continues to expand.

Since 2012, Sotheby’s has achieved over £75 million in Orientalist sales in London alone, with more than £42 million realized through our annual Orientalist Sale. Today, Sotheby’s continues to hold the dominant market share in this category, offering unparalleled access to museum‑quality works and setting the benchmark for excellence in Orientalist art worldwide.