Page 8 - Orient Collection
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The Collection
This is undeniably the best and broadest encounter ancient ruins; elsewhere we sense, but also his own personal
collection of orientalist art in the world. experience the hardship of the desert. experience at the confluence of East and
After being exhibited during the 19th There are various scenes of daily life, but West over 40 years. This select group
century at The Royal Academy of Arts in also moments of quiet reflection. They displays a concentrated focus on the
London, and The Exposition Universelle illustrate historic sites of the Middle East, unsurpassed quality of the artists active
of Paris, a great part of this collection and North Africa: sites which are the birth in this genre and offers a comprehensive
of masterpieces of orientalist paintings of humanity, civilizations, and religions. insight into many aspects of life in the
were consistently in the most prestigious These famous European painters of the Middle East during the 19th century.
European Museums alongside paintings 19th century accompanied their political
from the Louvre Museum, the Musée leaders to discover this ‘’Exotic Orient,” This Collection which received great honor
d’Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of from Napoleon III who traveled to Egypt and recognition was the basis for the
New York, The Musée Royal des Beaux in 1865 to visit the Suez Canal, to Kaiser many exhibitions held in great museums
Arts de Bruxelles, the London Tate Britain Wilhelm II of Germany who traveled to throughout of Europe. Along with the best
and the Prado Museum of Madrid to Palestine in 1872. selection of orientalist paintings from the
name a few. The Collection reflects top European museums, this Collection’s
the interests of the owner in a dialogue The Collection is full of the greatest most recent Exhibition took place in 2010-
between cultures, in celebrating individual masterpieces of orientalist art 2011 in Brussels-Belgium, Munich-Germany,
traditions and scenes that in many cases and is considered a perfectly balanced and Marseille-France. The Exhibition
have disappeared forever. Reviewing the ensemble of oil paintings, watercolors received generous critiques in the press in
collection, one is carried from Turkey and a statue that have a unique and various languages with illustrations in many
to Damascus and Jerusalem, and from subtle stylistic coherence. Acquired over magazines, newspapers, and publications
Cairo to Morocco, visiting bustling the years with great discernment, they and was named “The Greatest Orientalist
markets, and rich interiors. At Cairo we reflect not only the collector’s aesthetic Collection in The World.”
