Lot Essay
Bauernfeind first journeyed to the Middle East in 1880, visiting Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Jerusalem. Following two further journeys, he settled with his wife and son in Jerusalem in 1896.
In March 1898 he wrote to an old friend, Paul Friedrich Krell, 'To take a place in the [old] City is as unhealthy as it is costly and is out of the question for the time being. I was at the Hospice last May and June [1897] for about 6 weeks. In Autumn I moved to the Mount of Olives, where I rented a room (1 fr. per day, empty of course) from a Fellah. Mornings and evenings I did studies of Jerusalem, but after barely three weeks I was constrained to leave because of the early onset of winter. I had all the necessary household items, beds, cooking utensils and the rest, brought up by camels. All these sojourns are possible only if my beloved wife assists me. A cook would cost me too much, and to do my own cooking would overtax my strength.' (Carmel op. cit., p. 146)
By 1900, Bauernfeind's circumstances had changed and he had enough money to take his wife and child on a two-month trip to Lebanon. In this period 'he had done a number of large-scale oils that had greatly impressed authorities in the field and were classified by them as amongst his best work'. (Carmel, op. cit., p. 149)
In March 1898 he wrote to an old friend, Paul Friedrich Krell, 'To take a place in the [old] City is as unhealthy as it is costly and is out of the question for the time being. I was at the Hospice last May and June [1897] for about 6 weeks. In Autumn I moved to the Mount of Olives, where I rented a room (1 fr. per day, empty of course) from a Fellah. Mornings and evenings I did studies of Jerusalem, but after barely three weeks I was constrained to leave because of the early onset of winter. I had all the necessary household items, beds, cooking utensils and the rest, brought up by camels. All these sojourns are possible only if my beloved wife assists me. A cook would cost me too much, and to do my own cooking would overtax my strength.' (Carmel op. cit., p. 146)
By 1900, Bauernfeind's circumstances had changed and he had enough money to take his wife and child on a two-month trip to Lebanon. In this period 'he had done a number of large-scale oils that had greatly impressed authorities in the field and were classified by them as amongst his best work'. (Carmel, op. cit., p. 149)