ETIENNE DINET | At Sunset, On the Terrace

Private collection, Laon, France
A bequest to the present owners in 2008

Paris, Salon des Peintres Orientalistes Français, 1905, no. 202
Paris, Petit Palais, Exposition du Centenaire de la Conquête de l’Algérie, 1930, no. 440 (as Amoureux sur la terrasse)

Denise Brahimi & Koudir Benchikou, La vie et l'oeuvre de Etienne Dinet, Paris, 1984, p. 236, no. 324, catalogued & illustrated (with incorrect measurements; as Sur les terrasses après le coucher du soleil)

The canvas has been relined and there is a circa 12 by 9cm patch on the reverse of the lining canvas. Ultra-violet light reveals areas of uneven varnish which make the surface quite difficult to read. However, an area of retouching, corresponding to the patch on the reverse, is visible in the background to the left of the man's head. Strokes of retouching are also visible along the upper, right and lower framing edges. Inspection under U.V. light reveals partial signs of strengthening to the signature. Overall, this work presents well and is ready to hang. Presented in a dark wooden frame with a nameplate.
"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."

This rediscovered work captures a tender and intimate moment between a young couple, possibly newly-weds, on the roof of a riad. The girl has pulled back her veil to reveal her face adorned with a henna tattoo, in the shape of the lower half of a palm tree, symbolising fertility. On her chin a cinsla (a chain pattern that is also often found in Algerian weaving), is clearly visible. Tattoos were worn by Berber women to ward off the evil eye, to increase fertility or improve health, or to indicate that a girl had reached marriageable age. Dinet took great interest in painting the Berber community of Algeria, in its traditional costumes and way of life, particularly the Ouled Naïl tribe. His fascination with Algeria dated from his first visit in 1883. This proved to be a turning point in his career: he returned virtually every summer thereafter, visiting the capital and oasis towns of Bou Saâda, Biskra and Laghouat. 

In 1904 Dinet acquired a house in Bou Saâda, the closest of the oasis towns to Algiers some 150 miles south-east of the capital, choosing to settle there permanently. In his commitment to the places and people of Algeria, Dinet immersed himself in the life of Islamic north Africa: he spoke Arabic fluently, and in 1913 he converted to Islam, and changed his name to Nasreddin ('Defender of the Faith'). In 1929 Dinet went on the Hajj with his friend Slimane Ben Ibrahim.