Charles Theodore Frere Paintings
1814 - 1888 France, Orientalism
Les Chameliers Buvant Le The [Camel Drivers Drinking from the Wells], 1855
Oil on canvas, 25 3/4 x 21 5/8 inches (65.5 x 55 cm)
Private collection Figurative Art
Frere began contributing to the movement known as Orientalism, the depiction of cultures from the near and far East, highlighting their cultural practices, daily life, architectural, and brilliant sunlight with an uninhibited sense of veracity, or what may be termed as ethnography. Frere became intrigued by these cultures and after his journey to Algeria, which lasted roughly from 1836 or 1837 to 1839, Frere returned to Paris but later traveled through Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Syria, presumably beginning sometime around 1851 through 1854. Frere spent several years in Egypt especially, traveling down the Nile numerous times, and eventually establishing his own studio in Cairo. From 1855 he began to exhibit only Oriental themes at the Salon, including landscapes, cityscapes, and interiors, continuing to do so for the next three decades.
