Frederick Arthur Bridgman

Hal DuPont, Miami, Florida
Merrily Whiting, Miami, Florida (purchased from the above circa 1970)
Sale: Parke-Bernet, Los Angeles, 22 May 1973, lot 90
Mathaf Gallery, London

The canvas has been re-lined. There are scattered spots of retouching visible under ultraviolet light, notably to the lower right corner, the edges of the canvas, and some infilling to the background architecture and sky. Apart from a spot of canvas loss (approx. 0.5 by 0.5cm.) to the extreme upper right corner of the work and some scattered fine craquelure, this work is in good condition, with rich colours and a varied palette. Held in a decorative, gold-painted moulded plaster and wood frame with a name plate.
"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."

In this tranquil scene of domestic harmony, Bridgman evokes the pleasure of passing an idle afternoon on the terrace of a north African home, conversing and playing board games. Typically for Bridgman, the composition is devoid of a clear narrative, and it is left up to the viewer to interpret the interaction between individual figures. Bridgman was first and foremost interested in evoking a sensual experience, through the almost palpable contrast between the hot sun and the cool shade of the foreground, as well as the luxuriant colours and textures set against the carefully observed domestic architecture.

It was generally the structures of only the grandest establishments that dictated the idea of the harem to western painters. Above all, there was the 'Grand Seraglio' of the Ottoman Sultan at Constantinople which guided European mythologies of the harem for centuries. The reality, however, was quite different. As European and American travellers explored the Middle East in larger numbers from the 1840s onwards, they were able to see, or at least hear, for themsleves that harems were not places where women were kept as chattels or imprisoned at the whim of their masters, but elegantly discreet spaces of domestic harmony.