Orientalism, Auction 1st December 2010 | News | Artcurial

Orientalism

Auction 1^st Décembre 2010

25 October 2010

Cheihuslam (Cheikhulislam): Juge suprême de la loi canonique.
Le Cheikhulislam était le plus haut rang de la classe des Oulémas dans l’empire Ottoman.

On 1^st December an extremely high quality sale of Orientalist art will take place in Paris at Artcurial | Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan. In the first half of this year Artcurial Briest Poulain F. Tajan emerged as the French market leader in the Orientalist sector⁽¹⁾. For 1^st December, France's top auction house is preparing an exceptional sale, with works selected for their high quality and rarity.

A rare and historical document

An album of 124 water colours and gouaches, representing Ottoman costumes from the end of the 18th century, executed by Ferneci Mehmed, whose art and especially human figures paintings' are very highly praised.

Only three other known versions exist. While the Topkapi copy has 97 figures, Istanbul University Library has 32 and the Koc copy 97 figures, the one which will be sold by Artcurial | Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan on 1^st december is the most complete copy with its 128 figures. This copy is the only album where we find the images which specifically represent the costumes worn during the ceremonies. For that reason, it is a crucial source of information for ottoman studies. N°19 also introduces the new Ottoman flag. This flag with white crescent and star on red would be important and would become the flag of the Republic of Turkey.

This is the first time this album has appeared in a saleroom, it has always been in private hands.

A special 64 pages bilingual turkish/english catalogue is published by Artcurial | Briest - Poulain - F. Tajan.

⁽¹⁾ Its last sale, on June 8, totalled €1.57 million, with 80 per cent of the 44 lots sold, and set three world records, notably for Tunisian and Moroccan genre scenes In particular, 'La bedouine de Tunis', by Alexandre Roubtzoff, went for €434,000 and a Moroccan scene, 'Les fiancés ', by Jose Cruz Herrera, for €471,000

Lucien Levy-Dhurmer (1935-1953): Promenade du soir, Maroc, circa 1930
Pastel sur papier
81,50 x 62,50 cm; Estimation : 25 000-35 000 €

High quality Paintings

Paintings from Jacques Majorelle, Edouard Léon Louis Edy-Legrand (Estimate : €80,000 - €120,000)

José Cruz-Herrera, « les deux jeunes marocaines » (estimate e €50,000 - €70,000), Jean-Gaston Mantel, Eugène Fromentin, Georges Washington, Alexandre Iacovleff, and a pastel by Levy-Dhurmer, c. 1930, 'Promenade du soir', (photo on the left) of a unique freshness and refinement, from a private collection (Estimate €25,000 - €35,000) will complete an exceptional sale.