Large Orientalist watercolour painting by Pietro Gabrini

This superb and unusually large watercolour is by the Italian Orientalist artist Pietro Gabrini. The painting depicts a typical scene of a harem at rest in an Eastern palatial setting. Five European women laze around a pool: one, who lies on a Persian rug covered by nothing more than a sheet, plays with a swan; a second listens to the music played by an entertainer; three others, one standing, one sitting, and one lying down, gaze idly around, their relaxed state evincing a life of great pleasure. The setting is distinctly Islamic: the Persian rug is one indicator, while a wooden pilaster carved with geometrical arabesques is another. The painterly manner is fine and precise, with intricate details rendered delicately, while the colour palette is bright and vibrant.

The painting is signed and situated lower right ‘P. Gabrini. Roma’ and is held within a giltwood frame.

Frame: Height 95cm, width 130cm
Sheet: Height 60cm, width 95cm