Charles Sprague Pearce

Very good condition, on stable panel; under UV: some inpainting to address frame abrasion along 4 edges, a few spots to cloak of figure in doorway, a few pindots of inpainting to white wall.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Charles Sprague Pearce first visited the Middle East in the winter of 1873 when he traveled to Egypt with fellow American artist Frederic Arthur Bridgman.  Egypt had recently become a fashionable destination with the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869, and Pearce and Bridgman stayed at the stylish and popular Shepherd's Hotel in Cairo.  Soon after their arrival, they boarded a dahabiyyah, a large and luxurious sailboat, and sailed the Nile for three months, covering one thousand miles. They visited Esnah, The Isle of Philae in Nubia, Thebes, Edfu, Siburn and Abu Simbel (the southernmost point in the journey). After returning to Paris briefly in the spring of 1874 with "many fine pictures and folios filled with drawings," Pearce sought a warmer climate that winter due to a recurring illness. He visited the Kasbah in Algiers with fellow artist and student of Léon Bonnat, William Sartain. Inspired by the culture and appearance of Egypt and Algeria, Pearce painted a number of pictures reflecting his travels. In 1878, he exhibited two now lost paintings, The Statue of Memnon and Street Scene in Cairo, at the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association, and both were said to "be marked by great force and originality, reproducing Egyptian characteristics with wonderful success - the desert, the atmosphere, the peculiar life" (as quoted in Mary Lublin, Charles Sprague Pearce, New York, 1993, p. 13).

The Pottery Seller in Old City Cairo reveals Pearce's interest in Egyptian daily life. His deliberately brushy handling of the paint reflects the dry white walls and intricate woodwork on the building's timeworn façade. His choice of subject - a vendor of water jugs - is particularly relevant. The Nile River, often referred to as the "lifeline of Egyptian culture," held significance beyond its practical purpose as a natural resource, assuming a spiritual dimension for Egyptians, even prompting them to create a god in its honor.  The irrigation of the River, which dates back to 4,000 BC, allowed for a fertility and prosperity that made Egyptian civilization one of the most stable in history, even surpassing some modern civilizations.