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Lot Essay
Hermann Corrodi gained international acclaim as a painter of Orientalist subjects, and specialised in refined landscapes of the desert, the banks of the Nile and its surrounding villages.
At the beginning of the 1880s, Corrodi embarked to Egypt, Syria, Cyprus and Constantinople, bringing back a wealth of precious eastern objects for him to use as studio props, and scenes of a magical land which he was to use as inspiration for the rest of his artistic career.
The present picture represents Philae Island and its temples, an Egyptian landmark often referred to as 'the pearl of Nile' and which Corrodi would have visited upon his trip to Egypt. Dedicated in particular to the goddess Isis, wife of Osiris, the temples were transported from Philae to Agilkia between 1972 and 1980, but one can still imagine the beauty of Philae as seen through the eyes of a nineteenth century artist. No less than twelve wonderfully preserved buildings rose from the island, the most magnificent of which is represented in Corrodi's painting, the Kiosk of Trajan. Formed by a portico of fourteen columns with floral capitals, this charming pavilion probably served as a resting and embarking place for the goddess during the ceremonies that took place in her honour.
Although Corrodi's career belongs to the second half of the century, his style is closer to the academic traditions of the first half of the Ottocento. His refined brushstroke 'est remarquable par ses dégradés raffinés de couleur, ses jeux d'ombres et de lumière, ses sujets d'inspiration aussi bien abstraits que narratifs' (C. Juler, Les Orientalistes de l'Ecole Italienne, Paris, 1994, p. 66).
At the beginning of the 1880s, Corrodi embarked to Egypt, Syria, Cyprus and Constantinople, bringing back a wealth of precious eastern objects for him to use as studio props, and scenes of a magical land which he was to use as inspiration for the rest of his artistic career.
The present picture represents Philae Island and its temples, an Egyptian landmark often referred to as 'the pearl of Nile' and which Corrodi would have visited upon his trip to Egypt. Dedicated in particular to the goddess Isis, wife of Osiris, the temples were transported from Philae to Agilkia between 1972 and 1980, but one can still imagine the beauty of Philae as seen through the eyes of a nineteenth century artist. No less than twelve wonderfully preserved buildings rose from the island, the most magnificent of which is represented in Corrodi's painting, the Kiosk of Trajan. Formed by a portico of fourteen columns with floral capitals, this charming pavilion probably served as a resting and embarking place for the goddess during the ceremonies that took place in her honour.
Although Corrodi's career belongs to the second half of the century, his style is closer to the academic traditions of the first half of the Ottocento. His refined brushstroke 'est remarquable par ses dégradés raffinés de couleur, ses jeux d'ombres et de lumière, ses sujets d'inspiration aussi bien abstraits que narratifs' (C. Juler, Les Orientalistes de l'Ecole Italienne, Paris, 1994, p. 66).