This finely worked study shows a bearded man seated cross-legged, head bowed, hands
resting on his knees, absorbed in prayer. The folds of his robe are carefully
described in delicate hatching and the slight tilt of the head beneath the
turban conveys a quiet, meditative dignity.

The drawing cannot yet be connected with certainty to a single painting but Gérôme
employed such figures in several compositions exploring themes of Islamic
devotion and architectural grandeur. These include Evening Prayer, Cairo
(fig. 1) and Prayers in the Mosque (fig. 2), both of which depict groups
of worshippers absorbed in ritual before either monumental interiors or
spectacular backdrops. The present sheet is characteristic of the preparatory
work underlying these canvases, where Gérôme studied individual poses in
isolation before combining them into complex ensembles.

Such drawings reveal Gérôme’s method: rather than improvising from imagination, he
built his compositions from a repertoire of precisely observed figure studies.
Here the subtle variations of line weight used to suggest the folds of cloth
and the downward focus of the sitter are evidence of his academic training,
tempered by a sensitivity to stillness and inner absorption.

Whether or not it relates directly to Evening Prayer, Prayers in the Mosque
or another composition, the sheet exemplifies Gérôme’s enduring fascination
with Islamic worship as a subject: moments of silence and humility rendered
with the same exacting care he devoted to architectural detail and costume.