Rudolph Ernst

Lady Feeding Birds

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:24:00 +0000

One of my readers who goes by "Al" was kind enough to send me a photo of a painting believed to be by Rudolf Ernst, which has not been cataloged as of yet. Unfortunately I do not have a better quality shot as of yet.

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: Lady Feeding Birds
Signed lower left
Medium:
Size:

Keeping the Books

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Keeping the Books

Title: Keeping the Books
Signed:
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 32x25 in
Austrian Orientalist

Standing Guard

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Standing Guard

Title: Standing Guard
Signed:
Medium:
Size: 24x19in
Austrian Orientalist

Salome and the Tigers

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Salome and the Tigers

Artist: Rudolph Ernst (1854-1932)
Title: Salome and the Tigers
Signed:
Medium:
Size:
Austrian

The Beggar

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Beggar
Signed lower right 'R. Ernst'
Medium:
Size:

Tambourine Still Life

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: Tambourine Still Life
Medium:
Size:

Entering the Palace Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Entering the Palace Garden

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: Entering the Palace Garden
Signed: 'R. Ernst' (lower left)
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 32x25 in (81.3 x 63.5 cm.)
Austrian Orientalist

A Sultan with a Tiger

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:17:00 +0000

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: A Sultan with a Tiger
Signed 'R. Ernst' lower right
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 39.5x31.25 in (100.4x80cm)
Austrian Orientalist, 1854-1932

A Sultan with a Tiger is one of several paintings loosely inspired by India (a country Ernst never visited), in which the artist reveals the extent to which he indulged his own and his audience's imaginations. It combines textiles from Europe and Asia, sculpture from India, tiles from North Africa, a modern Cairo-ware lamp, with a Nubian figure in Islamic dress. Typically, the picture includes just a single, exotically dressed figure, who is given added drama not only by the tiger, but also by Ernst's favorite compositional technique of depicting his subjects from a low perspective, heightening their grandeur and presence.
Source: Artfact

Portrait of an Arab Nobleman

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:55:00 +0000

Portrait of an Arab Nobleman

Title: Portrait of an Arab Nobleman
Signed 'R. Ernst'lower right
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 97.5x51.5 in (247 x 131 cm.)
Austrian Orientalist

Ernst is best known for his Orientalist pictures which portray merchants, guards and pashas of the Ottoman Empire. He did paint a small number of portraits, which were commissioned during his travels in Turkey in 1890.

(On this same trip, Ernst became fascinated by faience - a technique he would himself attempt). Noteworthy too are a series of pictures of Arab sentinels and other protectors, which feature elaborately costumed male figures standing guard at entrances to marble palaces, harems, and other sacrosanct spaces. Though the entire Austrian school of Orientalists seems to have had a fascination for such scenes, it was Ernst (and his friend Deutsch) who virtually monopolized the field and captured the public's attention. Indeed, even so popular a painter as Jean-Léon Gérôme could not compete with Ernst's barrage of textures and surfaces, and thanks to the liberal use of photographs, his exquisitely rendered and highly informative records of specific weapons and garments.

Though it can be considered a variation on the sentinel theme, the present picture is remarkable in Ernst's oeuvre - and not merely because of its size, which makes it one of Ernst's largest painted canvases. The bearded sitter has long been believed to be the Algerian leader and Arab folk hero Abd el Kadir (1808-1883), a figure well known to European audiences by the middle of the nineteenth century. Abd el Kadir's absolute resistance of foreign domination, driven in the name of his Islamic faith, had become a matter of international interest. In 1845, Horace Vernet (1780-1863) had exhibited his extraordinary The Taking of the Smalah of Abd el Kadir, a picture commissioned by the King in order to both reflect France's agenda of total conquest and to justify its continued outlay of revenue in Algeria. More specifically, and as the exhaustive livret described, the panoramic work depicts the surrender of Abd el Kadir to the Duke of Aumale, the son of Louis-Philippe, and 600 of his French horsemen. Of the 5000 Algerians who took part in the battle, 300 were killed and 3000 taken prisoner, including el Kadir himself.
After a period of imprisonment in France between 1847-1852, Abd el Kadir relocated to Damascus. There, in 1860, he was credited with saving the lives of an estimated 12,000 Christians, including the French consul and his staff, during a massacre instigated by local Ottoman officials. In an ironic historical twist, the French government conferred on their former nemesis the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour, and additional honours followed from a number of other European governments. Historical accounts remember Abd el Kadir first for his military exploits, but also for his immaculate white burnous, his friendship with many prominent European travellers, most notably Isabel and Richard Burton, and for his later poetry and scholarly and theological pursuits.
With the end of Abd el Kadir's self-proclaimed holy war against France in 1843, artists began to travel more frequently to Algeria. (Eugène Fromentin may be considered the first major European artist to venture to the region for an extended period of time.) While there is no record of a meeting between Abd el Kadir and Ernst, certain details of the artist's work seem to dovetail with this celebrated figure. The placement of the man's hand on the sword, for example, recalls Abd el Kadir's military accomplishments, while the open text below suggests his famed religious fervor. Ernst's care in choosing a startlingly white paint to render the man's robes, moreover, might be meant as a reminder of Abd el Kadir's distinctive dress. And certainly, compelling comparisons can be made between this bearded visage and that portrayed in other contemporary visual documents. But there are other details, as well, which suggest a far different interpretation: the ornate faience tiles in the background point to Ernst's own interests at the time, and the carved Koran stand, set among other exotic still life objects, is a motif that reappears in others of his paintings. Indeed, and despite the intriguing attribution regarding the identity of the sitter, this painting might be read as a reflection of Ernst's own career, and a cumulative memory of disparate Middle-Eastern travels.

Source: Emily Weeks wrote this essay for catalog entry for Artfact.

The Guard of the Harem

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:38:00 +0000

The Guard of the Harem

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Guard of the Harem
Signed 'R. Ernst'lower right
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 24x19 in (61 x 48cm)
Austrian Orientalist

Returning Home

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:05:00 +0000

Returning Home

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: Returning Home
Signed:
Medium: Watercolor and pencil on paper
Size: 17 7/8 x 12 1/8 inches (45.7 x 31.1 cm)
Austrian Orientalist

Romantic Interlude

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:16:00 +0000

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: Romantic Interlude
Signed lower right 'R.Ernst'
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 30x25.25 in (76x64cm)
Austrian Orientalist (1854-1932)

Although Rudolf Ernst traveled several times to North Africa and Spain, harem scenes as this one would be completely painted from imagination. Access to harems was not granted to foreigners and scenes such as this would have never been witnessed by them. It is know though that Ernst did bring home props from his travels and that he decorated his Paris studio with them. On a side note Ernst even wore a taboosh, while painting, to feel more in an 'Eastern' mood.

The Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:10:00 +0000

The Meal

Artist: Rudolph Ernst
Title: The Meal
Signed:
Medium:
Size:
Austrian Orientalist

An Elegant Chieftain in his Palace

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:15:00 +0000

An Elegant Chieftain in his Palace
Signed 'R. Ernst' (lower left)
Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 22 x 18 in. (55.8 x 45.6 cm.)
Austrian Orientalist

His exceptional mastery lies in his ability to combine layers of genuine artifacts in order to create outstanding fantasy. For instance, details like the 18th Century Ottoman sash tied around the Chieftain's waist juxtaposed with blue and green Moroccan tiles exemplify Ernst's skill in visually cross-referencing the archetypal designs of various regions in order to enhance his compositions. In An Elegant Chieftain in his Palace, Ernst decorates a regal Hispano-Moresque palace interior based on the Alhambra with objects most likely included in his own personal collection (as they were repeatedly included in his Orientalist compositions).

Similar to Lewis and Gerome, Ernst gathered a sizeable group of artifacts from his travels to the Middle East such as tiles, lamps, pottery, silks, satins and kaftans. The 17th Century Persian blue and white pot, for example, was also depicted in Un ciseleur and in Outside the Selim Tribe, Constantinople, as well as in The Perfume Makers. Furthermore, the 19th Century Syrian bronze lamp to the right of the Chieftain was depicted in After the Prayer and in The Wedding Day. The red and gold embroidered silk Damask curtain was also used in Smoking the Hookah, and the Moorish octagonal blue and green tiles were illustrated in Reading the Koran. The 19th Century Syrian mother-of-pearl inlaid table placed to the Chieftain's left is also depicted in the Refreshment (Najd Collection). The Alhambra-style background is a favorite setting that Ernst repeatedly returned to in his ambitious compositions such as The Wedding Day as well as The Moorish Guard, The Alhambra.
Source: Artfact

Harem Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:58:00 +0000

Harem Girls

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: Harem Girls
Signed 'R.Ernst'
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 12 x 18 in
Austrian Orientalist

The Scholar

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:13:00 +0000

The Scholar

Artist: Rudolph Ernst
Title: The Scholar
Signed lower left 'R. Ernst'
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 10.625x8.5 in (27x21.6cm)
Austrian Orientalist 1854-1932

Reminiscent of Rembrandt's work, Rudolf Ernst has changed to a much more muted palette in this painting. He has used chiaroscuro to model the figure and applied a strong directional light to illuminate the figure.

The Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:07:00 +0000

The Lesson

Artist: Rudolph Ernst
Title: The Lesson
Signed:
Medium:
Size:
Austrian Orientalist

The Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:41:00 +0000

The Presentation

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Presentation
Signed 'R.Ernst' lower left
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: (25.5x18 in 65x45.5 cm)
Austrian Orientalist

In the present work it is evident from the nature of the item being presented - a sword - that the occasion is important, while the relative hierarchy between the two men is plain from their postures, their different positions on the steps up to the front door of the house and the relative richness of the draperies worn by them.

Yet to a Western eye as well (and it was for a Western clientel that the work was painted), Ernst also evokes a comfortingly bourgeois image of Middle Eastern life. Although grand, the architectural setting is domestic rather than palatial, and he paints the master of the house as wealthy rather than necessarily princely. Thus without losing the drama and the edge that so clearly came from experiencing the region at first hand, he presented to his prospective audience, most of whom had and never would visit themselves, a reassuringly familiar set of values, albeit wrapped in trappings distinct to the area. In the process, Ernst references all the elements that collectors required in such a work: the richly decorated ceramic tiles, the carpet, the marble and intricately carved window and door.
Source: Artfact

The Metal Workers

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:50:00 +0000

The Metal Workers

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Metal Workers
Signed 'R. Ernst' lower left
Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 24 1/4 x 19 1/4 in.
Austrian Orientalist

The Pasha's Favorite Tiger

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:11:00 +0000

The Pasha's Favorite Tiger

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Pasha's Favorite Tiger
Signed:55.2x37.5 cm
Medium: Oil
Size:
Austrian Orientalist

The Wedding Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:19:00 +0000

The Wedding Gift

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Wedding Gift
Signed:
Medium: Oil on Panel
Size: 41x30cm
Austrian Orientalist

The Perfume Maker

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:16:00 +0000

The Perfume Maker

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Perfume Maker
Signed:
Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 30 7/8 x 39 1/4 inches (78.7 x 100 cm)
Austrian Orientalist

The Arab Prince

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:08:00 +0000

The Arab Prince

Title: The Arab Prince
Signed 'R. Ernst'lower left
Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 12 7/8 x 9 1/4 inches (33 x 23.5 cm)
Austrian Orientalist

Moorish Interior

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:26:00 +0000

Moorish Interior

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: A Moorish Interior
Signed:
Medium: Oil
Size:
Austrian Orientalist

The Moorish Guard

noreply@blogger.com (Enzie Shahmiri) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:12:00 +0000

The Moorish Guard

Artist: Rudolf Ernst
Title: The Moorish Guard
Signed
Medium: Oil on panel
Size: 25 5/8 x 20 3/4 inches (65.1 x 53 cm)
Austrian Orientalist