Fig. 1, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Arnaut with two whippets, 1865, oil on panel, 35 x 25 cm, Private Collection
JEAN-LÉON GEROME
12 ¾ x 8 in.
Further images
This finely observed drawing depicts an Arnaut, one of the Albanian mercenary
soldiers in Ottoman service, identified by his pleated fustanella, voluminous
sleeves and wrapped sash. Seen from behind, the figure turns his head in
profile to the left, a long curved sabre resting loosely in his hand. The
stance is unforced yet dignified, emphasising the mixture of poise and martial
bearing that so appealed to Gérôme in these subjects.
While no specific painting has been connected to this sheet, Gérôme returned
repeatedly to the Arnaut type throughout his career (fig. 1), whether as
central protagonists or as supporting figures in larger Orientalist
compositions. Drawings such as this one, precise in contour and costume but
sparing in tonal development, provided the artist with a repertoire of
attitudes that he could adapt fluidly across canvases. They attest to his
sustained fascination with the Arnaut as both a model of exotic dress and a
symbol of latent strength.
Provenance
Suzanne and Aimé Morot, the daughter and son-in-law of the artist;
By descent to their son, Aimé-Léon Morot;
By whom sold, Sotheby’s, Paris, 27 June 2002, lot 187;
From where acquired by the present owner.