Page 78 - Orient Collection

33. At the entrance of The Tavern

Artist: Theodor RALLI, Greek, (1852 - 1909)
Execution date (approximate): 1889
Téchnique: Oil on Canvas, (signed lower right)
Measures: 142 x 112 cm.
Description: An elegant Young lady with her fine white silk dress smoking at the entrance
of the Tavern.

Exhibitions
Austria, Kunsthalle Krems, Krems-Stein, from: 14.08.2005 – 13.11.2005. “Harem Des Orients”.
Royal Academy of Arts in London, in 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, Dictionary of Contributors
and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904,Vol. VI, p.231.

Publications
• Harem Des Orients, p.44.

Biography
Ralli was sent to Paris under the patronage of King Otto of Greece and studied under
Jean-Léon Gérôme, French painter and professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and under
Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouy, both known for their orientalist paintings. Ralli then
travelled widely in North Africa and the Middle East, settling for a while in Cairo, Egypt.
Here he found his inspiration for the romantic mysticism and suggestive sensuality of his
many orientalistic paintings. His other genre paintings were often nostalgic recollections
of the life and customs of his Greek homeland, which he portrayed with a delicate and
moving reverence. His paintings were elaborated with great attention to detail, with great
attention to costumes and facial expressions. The varying light sources in his paintings
such as rays of light, candles, or the glowing embers in the fireplace are rendered in soft
colours.
His first exhibition was at the Salon in 1875. From 1879 he regularly exhibited at the Royal
Academy in London. He was a member of the Société des Artistes Français, where he
received an honourable mention in 1885, and a silver medal in 1889 for his entire work.
He exhibited his paintings in the Salon de Rouen in 1897, 1903, 1906 and 1909. He exhibited
his paintings in Athens at the Olympic Games of 1896. He also served as a member of the
competition jury in 1900 at the Exposition Universelle. In 1901 he became a Knight of the
Legion of Honour.

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