Jean-Léon Gérôme French, 1824-1904

Peter A. Schemm, Philadelphia
Sale: American Art Association, New York, 15-17 March, 1911, lot 22
Purchased by the present owner in 1977

Catalogue of the Collection of Paintings of Peter A. Schemm, Philadelphia, 1911, no. 63
Gerald M. Ackerman, Jean-Léon Gérôme. Monographie révisée. Catalogue raisonné mis à jour, Paris, 2000, pp. 364-365, no. 502, catalogued and illustrated

The canvas has been relined. There are a few retouchings to the extreme edges of the work, some flecks to the robes of the sitting figure and a few flecks to within the doorway visible under ultraviolet light. Apart from some faint craquelure to the white robes of the man on the left, this work is in good overall condition, clean and ready to hang. The colours are brighter than they appear in the catalogue illustration. Held in a decorative gilt wood frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Gérôme's fascination with eastern piety dates back to his month-long sojourn in Cairo in 1868, where he visited mosque after mosque, capturing its every detail in a wealth of sketches, and was renewed during a visit to Algeria in 1873, the setting of the present work. In compositions like this, he was able to combine his admiration for Muslim piety with his fascination for the colours and geometric space of islamic architecture.

Throughout Gérôme's oeuvre there is a great respect for the straightforward and unselfconscious prayer which springs up spontaneously around the visitor to Muslim countries at certain hours. Strongly anti-clerical himself, Gérôme was drawn by the uncluttered, clergy-free independence of Muslim worship. The quiet richness and geometrical order of the mosque interior serve to increase the sense of concentration.

The Sultan's Tomb is loosely based on a tomb in the Oued-el-Kebir cemetery outside Algiers. Gérôme has taken some artistic licence in his rendition of the interior, however, adding decorations drawn from his imagination or from sketches made elsewhere. A preparatory oil sketch for the painting is in the Manial Palace Museum in Cairo. It shows every element of the finished painting in a more rudimentary form and provides an insight into the thorough working methods underlying his major works.