THE ARAB HORSEMEN

FOLLOWING STUDIES AT THE ACADEMIES IN FRANKFURT AND DSSELDORF, SCHREYER DECIDED TO CONTINUE HIS STUDIES IN PARIS. IT WAS THERE THAT HE CAME UNDER THE SPELL OF EUGèNE DELACROIX (SEE LOT 47), THE LEADING ROMANTIC COLOURIST, AND HIS CHIEF ACOLYTE, EUGèNE FROMENTIN (SEE LOT 41). THEIR FASCINATION WITH THE MAGHREB ENCOURAGED SCHREYER TO VISIT ALGERIA SEVERAL TIMES IN SEARCH OF EXOTIC MOTIFS WHICH WOULD MATCH THE FLICKERING BRILLIANCE OF HIS WARM PALETTE.

THE PRESENT PICTURE PORTRAYS ONE OF HIS FAVOURITE THEMES, THAT OF ARAB HORSEMEN, WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO DISPLAY HIS RUBENSIAN GRASP OF ANATOMY AND VIGOROUS TORSION, ENLIVENED BY HIS CHARACTERISTIC FRACTURED, VIVID BRUSHSTROKES.