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Lot Essay
The work of Henri Emilien Rousseau is distinct from other French Orientalist artists in that he knew his subject intimately. While men such as Eugène Delacroix and Eugène Fromentin travelled extensively in northern Africa and Asia Minor, closely observing the people and places they encountered there, they remained outsiders in foreign lands. Rousseau, on the other hand, was born in Cairo and grew up in a wealthy family where he was immersed in the culture and traditions of Egyptian life.
While Rousseau eventually left Cairo to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and train with the esteemed Gérôme, he returned to northern Africa frequently throughout his life, beginning first in 1901 and then most intensively from 1920-1932. During these trips, he befriended many Caïds, or local chiefs, which allowed him to explore various areas in the Rif and Atlas mountains that would have been otherwise inaccessible to him. His paintings reveal his familiarity with his subjects; never indulging in fanciful or picturesque imaginings, they are highly accurate depictions characterized by a careful attention to detail.
Falconry, the subject of the present painting, was of particular interest to Rousseau. Referred to in the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh of 2000 BCE, falconry remains a popular sport today throughout northern Africa and the Middle East. Images of the Moroccan falcon (or 'El Hor' - the Nobel one - as it is known) appear on the arms or shoulders of sultans and kings as they ride out to the hunt throughout history. By painting falconry, Rousseau chose a subject that held aristocratic, regal and sacred associations and was also intriguing to his Parisian audience. Rousseau's painting conveys a sense of the ceremony and significance whilst the scene is imbued with a sense of drama and tension thanks to the rapidly beating wings of the falcon as it comes to rest, dominantly positioned over the figures on horseback.
While Rousseau eventually left Cairo to study at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and train with the esteemed Gérôme, he returned to northern Africa frequently throughout his life, beginning first in 1901 and then most intensively from 1920-1932. During these trips, he befriended many Caïds, or local chiefs, which allowed him to explore various areas in the Rif and Atlas mountains that would have been otherwise inaccessible to him. His paintings reveal his familiarity with his subjects; never indulging in fanciful or picturesque imaginings, they are highly accurate depictions characterized by a careful attention to detail.
Falconry, the subject of the present painting, was of particular interest to Rousseau. Referred to in the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh of 2000 BCE, falconry remains a popular sport today throughout northern Africa and the Middle East. Images of the Moroccan falcon (or 'El Hor' - the Nobel one - as it is known) appear on the arms or shoulders of sultans and kings as they ride out to the hunt throughout history. By painting falconry, Rousseau chose a subject that held aristocratic, regal and sacred associations and was also intriguing to his Parisian audience. Rousseau's painting conveys a sense of the ceremony and significance whilst the scene is imbued with a sense of drama and tension thanks to the rapidly beating wings of the falcon as it comes to rest, dominantly positioned over the figures on horseback.