FREDERICK ARTHUR BRIDGMAN | Arab Women on a Rooftop, Algiers Beyond

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This work is in lovely condition. The paint layer is clean and well varnished. The canvas has an old glue lining which is nicely stabilizing the paint layer. There is no abrasion or weakness to the paint. There is a half inch vertical restoration in the sky in the upper right corner. There is another restoration directly below in the parapet in the upper right. There are a few dots of retouching addressing some losses on the right edge about half way up the right edge, and a few spots in the tree in the center. Although the original pigment reads strongly under ultraviolet light, there do not appear to be any other retouches. The work should be hung as is.
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.

Unifying Frederick Arthur Bridgman’s prolific production was inspiration gleaned during his travels to North Africa, beginning with his first trip to Egypt and Algeria in 1872.  In his travelogue Winters in Algeria, the artist remembered the city of Algiers as a “white dove settling on a hillside,” an impression evocatively conveyed in the panoramic vista of the present work (Frederick Arthur Bridgman, Winters in Algeria, Boston, 1889, p. 2). With light brushwork and dabs of the palette knife, Bridgman recorded the texture and color of the jumbled buildings’ clay walls, and the subtle shifting tones of the sunbaked rooftops cascading down to the sapphire waters of the Mediterranean. A thin wash of brown-greys suggests the welcome cool of shadows cast over two Algerian women meeting on the roof. 

We would like to thank Dr. Ilene Susan Fort, Curator Emerita/Consultant, American Art, LACMA for kindly confirming the authenticity of this lot.