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210 - 210. José Ignacio Luis Echenagusia Errazquin dit Echena (Fon…

Estimate €40,000 - €60,000

Description

210. José Ignacio Luis Echenagusia Errazquin dit Echena (Fontarrabie 1844-1912 Rome) Femmes du harem profitant d'un moment de loisir sur une terrasse dominant Le Caire signed 'J. Echena' (lower left) oil on canvas 51,5 x 85.4cm (20 1/4 x 33 5/8in). Provenance Sale, Sotheby's, London, 26 March 1997, lot 170 Private Collection, Spain Trained in Bayonne, Echena moved to Rome in 1876, where the legacy of Mariano Fortuny y Marsal (1838-1874) continued to shape the work of many artists. Drawn to Orientalist themes, he developed a particular interest in scenes of domestic leisure, favouring intimate compositions over historical narratives. The present work is characteristic of this aspect of his oeuvre. Depicting elegantly dressed women gathered on a terrace overlooking Cairo, it combines meticulous attention to costume and decorative detail with a luminous treatment of light and atmosphere. Like much Orientalist painting of the late nineteenth century, the composition offers an idealised vision of the East, reflecting contemporary European fascination with its perceived refinement and exoticism. A similar composition, set in Constantinople, is also known, suggesting that the theme occupied a recurring place within the artist's repertoire. A similar composition set in Constantinople was offered at Christie's, London 18 June 1998, lot 161.

About the sale Old Master and 19th Century Paintings

Auction location

Auction time 11/04/2026 at 1:00 PM

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