Antique Orientalist painting of an orange seller by Pata

Set on an Algerian street, this Orientalist figurative painting depicts a local merchant. With his stall set within the white-washed walls, a whole host of items are on offer, with the bright, glossy oranges the stand-out feature.

The seller himself is situated in the centre of the canvas in the middle ground. He leans forward over the counter, and looks directly out as if encouraging the viewer to peruse, or buy his wares. To the right of the stall sits a child, who perhaps aids the seller in his business. Aside from these two figures, the scene is empty – an unusual contrast from the typical Orientalist street scenes, which often depict moments of business and bustle.

The viewer is immediately drawn to the baskets of oranges. Wonderfully spherical, the fruit is painted with an impressive sheen that is highly enticing. The artist allows the fruit to take centre stage, surrounding them with plainer objects such as baskets and urns. In a small rack to the left of the window, various jewellery is displayed.

Focus on the stall itself is aided by the surroundings, the white-washed walls and pavement allowing attention to be focused on the figures and objects in the centre. The ground in particular is rendered with an impressive gestural impasto, applied in short flecks to add texture to the otherwise relatively flat scene.

The painting is ensconced in an elaborate giltwood frame, which is applied with an artist’s label to the lower edge, and to the reverse of the frame is an old label with the subject (‘Marchand d’oranges à Alge(rie)’). The painting itself is signed in the lower right ‘C. PATA 1881’. Best known as Gustave Courbet’s most important pupil and assistant, Italian-Swiss artist Cherubino Pata (1827-1899) is most known for his depictions of nature. This Orientalist scene is a particularly fine and unusual example of his work.

Of a charming subject, this Algerian street scene would be a fine addition to any collection of Orientalist art or antiques.

Canvas: Height 55cm, width 46cm
Frame: Height 78cm, width 69cm, depth 8cm