Page 77 - Orient Collection

32. Young Children at the Fire-place

Artist: Max RABES, German, (1868 - 1944)
Execution date (approximate): 1909
Téchnique: Oil on Canvas, (signed lower left)
Measures: 100.5 x 136.5 cm.
Description: Three young children with beautiful colored drapery trying to warm up their
hands at the fire-place, with a man sitting nonchalantly smoking, at Biskra-Algeria (a
South Oasis).
Rabes accompanied The Kaiser Wilhelm II during his trip to North Africa and Middle-East.
The man is most probably The Algerian Prince Abdelkader whom Rabes wanted to
personify in his work. Abdelkader was deported to Damascus where he played an important
intermediary and Political role betweem fighting of religious fractions in the Midle-East
(Lebanon 1862), and stopping the Cival war.

Biography
Max Friedrich Ferdinand Rabes was one of the most important German painters of his day. Not only did
he accompany the German Emperor Wilhelm II on a visit to the MiddleEast, but was later chosen to travel
with Prince Cyril of Bulgaria around the United Stetes. Rabes became a Professor of art at the University of
Arts in Berlin as well as the University of Erlangen in Bulgaria. Perhaps best known as a master of Orientalist
paintings, Rabes was also an accomplished portrait painter, a genre artist, landscape painter and illustrator.
In addition he executed a number of murals and even turned his hand to sculpture. He trained at the Munich
School of Art under the topographical and architectural painter and watercolorist Paul Graeb (1842-92).
From an early age Rabes,Rabes travelled from Germany, Italy and France to Finland and America. However
his most important and frequent travels abroad were to Egypt and especially Cairo as well as Israel,
Palestine, Turkey and other parts of the Middle East. As a reflection of how important Max Rabes was as an
Orientalist painter, he and Wolfgang Christian Gentz (1862-1914), son of Karl Wilhelm Gentz (1822-1890),
were specially chosen to accompany the German Emperor and Empress on a state visit to the Middle
East in 1898. Also accompanying the party was the marine painter Professor Saltzman. The Empress, who
was a very keen amateur photographer, also took along photographic apparatus so that she, like Rabes,
could record the many places they visited. During their travels the imperial party and accompanying
artists visited Palestine, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Cairo. The visit was widely reported in the press,
including the English paper the Westminster Budget (14th October 1898) who noted that when entering
Constantinople, the Emperor rode on a pure bred Arab stallion that had been given to him by the Sultan.
While visiting Constantinople Rabes depicted the great city against the Bosporus and captivated by the
grandeur of the great city, he painted views of the Dolmabah Palace and other architectural splendors.
He was equally struck by the buildings and inhabitants of Palestine and historic cities such as Jerusalem
and Cairo. Further visits to Tunisia and Algeria followed, in particular to Biskra, which became a magnet
for many artists owing to its lush and scenic beauty as well as the welcoming Arab hospitality. The present
painting dates from this period and is the largest work byRabes on record. He depicts a scene from every
day Algerian life. The present work is one ofRabes most important. The German Aristocracy liked and
sought his Orientalist paintings, others in Museums like, MuseumFür Stadtgeschichte, Dessau, in the Neue
Pinakothek in Münich, Schwerin Museum, Weimar Museum, and Museum für Post und Tele-kommunikation
in Berlin. His Art was held in high regard and applauded by the critics all over Europe and America.

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