The Arab Jeweler, ca. 1882
Charles Sprague Pearce (American, 1851–1914)
Oil on canvas; 46 x 35 3/8 in. (116.8 x 89.9 cm)
Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1922 (22.69)
Technical Glossary
Charles Sprague Pearce (American, 1851–1914)
Oil on canvas; 46 x 35 3/8 in. (116.8 x 89.9 cm)
Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1922 (22.69)
An example of the popular Orientalist mode, The Arab Jeweler was probably inspired by Pearce's travels to North Africa and the Near East in the 1870s. The close vantage point, solidly modeled figure, sophisticated rendering of textures, and intricate details recall works by Léon Bonnat, with whom Pearce studied from 1873 until 1876. Forced by poor health to leave Paris, Pearce settled in 1884 in Auvers-sur-Oise, about fifteen miles north, and increasingly turned his attention to sentimental scenes of rural life.
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