By Narcisse Berchere
Located in London, GB
Cairo Wedding Procession, an Orientalist Painting by Narcisse Berchère
By Berchère, Narcisse (French, 1819-1891)
French, 19th century
Canvas: height 64cm, width 40cm, depth 2cm
Frame: height 75cm, width 51cm, depth 5cm
This richly detailed oil painting depicts a wedding procession making its way down a narrow, sunlit street in Cairo, led by musicians beating a drum and playing pipes. It is a fine example of the Orientalist painting that flourished in France in the second half of the 19th century, as artists travelled through Egypt and the Near East and returned with vivid records of its architecture, light and daily life. The work is by the French painter Narcisse Berchère (1819–1891), who first visited Egypt in the 1850s and returned several times, travelling in the company of Gérôme, Belly and Fromentin; it is signed at the lower right.
The composition looks down a steep, canyon-like street, framed by tall houses whose upper storeys are enclosed by projecting mashrabiya screens...
Category
19th Century Other Art Style Narcisse Berchere Figurative Paintings