Orientalist oil painting of the Egyptian desert by Jules Noël

By a notable French artist, this Egyptian landscape scene depicts a caravan journeying across the desert.

The travelling group occupy the righthand foreground. Several figures ride atop camels, whilst others walk alongside. The procession is led by a mule, who is laden down with bags and possessions. Two small dogs race alongside, surrounded by dust clouds to convey their speed. The figures carry tall sticks and spears, to protect them on their journey and aid their progression. The group are rendered gesturally, with faces obscured, so that the effect is that of a large travelling mass.

To the left, glimpses of an Egyptian city (possibly Cairo) can be seen on the horizon, dominated by two of the pyramids which tower over the flat city. As elsewhere, the buildings are rendered in a painterly manner, helping to convey the hazy heat of the midday sun.

The vast majority of the canvas is taken up by the blue sky, and this unusual use of proportion conveys the oppressive conditions of the desert. With the sky wonderfully graduated, flecks of white cloud barely stand out against the blue mass.

Set within a carved giltwood frame, the painting is signed to the lower right ‘Jules Noël’. The landscape and maritime painter Jules Achille Noël (1810-1881) worked for much of his career in Brittany and Normandy. He exhibited yearly at the Paris Salons from 1840, even gaining the praise of Charles Baudelaire in 1846. His paintings are now housed in the museums of Brest, Quimper, Lille, Vannes and Versailles, as well as the National Maritime Museum in London.

This fine Egyptian desert scene would suit both a contemporary and traditional interior.

Canvas: Height 28cm, width 38cm
Frame: Height 48cm, width 58cm, depth 6cm