Charles-Théodore FRERE (1814-1888). Bath near... Lot 151

Charles-Théodore FRERE (1814-1888). Bath near Constantinople. Oil on panel signed E lower right. Height 12.5 - Width: 20.5 cm Charles-Théodore Frère is one of those French painters who are among the most worthy representatives of the 19th-century Orientalist school. A pupil of Jules Coignet and Camille Roqueplan in France, in his youth he traveled throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, whose landscapes and atmospheres became his favourite subjects. his favorite subjects. He spent four years in Algeria, immersed in its light, which left a lasting impression on his eyes. Frère immortalized the images offered by the lands he criss-crossed, such as Greece and the Ottoman Empire. A reciprocal relationship was born between the artist and the Middle East, which showed him profound respect. Indeed, in the 1850s, he was appointed court painter to the Viceroy of Egypt, who elevated him to the rank of Bey, earning him the nickname "Brother Bey". His work, which was as broad as it was singular, focused on concrete, objective subjects such as twilight landscapes, lively market scenes, oases, caravans and city views, in contrast to the more fantastical, romantic themes of Orientalism. Commissions from the King of Württemberg, his trip to join Empress Eugénie at the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869, in the company of Jean-Léon Gérôme, and the fact that he exhibited several times at the Salon, testify to the prestige of his work.