Johann Moritz Rugendas (1802-1858)

oil on canvas

Private Collection, Bordeaux

This painting is in lovely condition. The canvas has not been removed from the original stretcher. Although the paint layer is slightly cracked, it is stable and lining is not recommended. The paint layer is clean and varnished. There are no retouches, except for one small dot in the upper right sky. This picture is in beautiful condition and should be hung as is. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.

One of the best known of the nineteenth-century traveler painters to visit Latin America was Johann Moritz Rugendas, a German artist who first visited Brazil in 1821. A disciple of the naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt, Rugendas was so enamored of the continent that he returned to the Americas in 1831, traveling throughout the region until 1846 when he returned to Europe.  In November 1842, Rugendas traveled from Chile to Peru, remaining in Lima for an extended period where El Rapto was painted.

This magnificent Rugendas is part of a series on the theme of La Cautiva (The Captive), a subject the artist revisited between 1835 and 1848. La Cautiva/El Rapto was a popular nineteenth-century theme in both painting and literature of the period depicting kidnappings by the Araucano Indians in the south of Chile and Argentina.  This version of El Rapto/La Cautiva is less descriptive than others and emphasizes the dramatic moment with suggestive and energetic strokes of the paintbrush.