Paintings illustrating exotic interiors became more frequent in the 19th century. British architects studied architecture outside Europe as they searched for ideas for a new building style. These traditional forms were also threatened with obliteration by `the march of progress' and drawings had to be made to record them before they were destroyed.
This painting represents the `qaah' or principal room in the women's apartments of the Bayt al-Sadat, a fine house that fortunately still exists near the Sharia al-Gammamiz in Cairo. In his desire to preserve the exotic domestic architecture of Cairo, particularly the interiors, Dillon painted accurate pictures of them as a record and as a kind of advertisement for his campaign. He included their inhabitants in appropriate costume, to give scale and to make them more appealing.
Frank Dillon (1823-1909) was part of the circle that had surrounded Owen Jones. Like many of those design reformers he wished to encourage interest in the decorative art and architecture of other cultures. He was actively concerned with efforts to preserve Islamic monuments of Cairo. He also travelled in Portugal, Spain and Morocco, as well in Japan where he studied and painted traditional Japanese interiors.
Place of Origin
Cairo, Egypt (painted)
Date
ca. 1875 (painted)
Artist/maker
Dillon, Frank (RI), born 1823 - died 1909 (painter (artist))
Materials and Techniques
Bodycolour, on paper stretched round panel
Dimensions
Height: 74.5 cm unframed, Width: 58.5 cm unframed, Height: 850 mm frame, Width: 695 mm frame, Depth: 65 mm frame
Object history note
According to Rodney Searight: - 'Bt Sotheby's Belgravia, Nov.7th 1972 , 25 (via Holder)'.
Historical context note
The title derives from an engraving in Ebers, Vol.II, [1879], p.84; this is a view of the same room and is after a watercolour (VAM, DPD, 862-1900). This, or a version, possibly The Harem of a Wealthy Arab, Cairo or Hareem of Sheikh Sadat, Dudley Gallery, 1875 (272) and 1876 (70). Further views of the same house are VAM, DPD, 855, 856 & 859-1900 (all three dated 1873) and E.2877 & E.2878-1909. Dillon exhibited several views of Cairo houses at the RA, RI and Dudley Gallery: see Searight Archive. The Bayt al Sadat, off the Sharia al Gammamiz, was mentioned in Murray's Handbook for Egypt (1880 edn., p.164); it is still extant and has undergone restoration. SD329-333 derive from the third and fourth of Dillon's visits to Cairo, when he became especially interested in its Islamic architecture. He made a series of watercolours of three Mamluk style houses, the bayts of Radwan Bay (SD331), Shaykh al Sadat (SD332) and the Mufti, Shaykh al Mahdi, including eleven acquired by the South Kensington Museum from Bryan Donkin, the artist's son in law, in 1900 (VAM, DPD, 852 862 1900; see R.P's 84814). For further details of the houses, see B. Maury, A. Raymond,
J. Revault & M. Zakariya, Palais et Maisons du Caire, Vol.I, Epoque Mamelouke, Vol.II, Epoque Ottomane, Paris, 1982 & 1983. See also B. Llewellyn, 'Frank Dillon and Victorian pictures of old Cairo houses', Ur, 3 1984, pp.3 10; Searight Archive.
Descriptive line
A Room In The House of Shayk Sadat, Cairo, about 1875, by Frank Dillon
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Nicholas Tromans ed., The Lure of the East. British Orientalist Painting London: Tate Publishing, 2008. ISBN: 978 1 85437 733 3.
Exhibition catalogue
Orte der Sehnsucht. Mit Künstlern auf Reisen Regensburg : Schnell & Steiner ; Münster : LWL-Landesmuseum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte, 2008. 493 p. : col. ill. ISBN: 3795420881 / 9783795420888 / 9783795420895
Exhibition catalogue
Remi Labrusse, Islamophilie. L'Europe moderne et les arts de l'Islam. Le catalogue de l'exhibition Le genie de l'Orient Lyon: Musee des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, 2011. ISBN: 978-2-7572-0438-2.
Exhibition catalogue
Exhibition History
Le Génie de l’Orient. L’Europe moderne et les arts de l’Islam. (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon 31/03/2011-04/07/2011)
Orte der Sehnsucht. Mit Künstlern auf Reisen (Westfalisches Landesmuseum, Munster (LWL - Landesmuseum fur Kunst und Kulturgeschichte) 28/09/2008-11/01/2009)
The Lure of the East. British Orientalist Painting (Tate Gallery London 04/06/2008-31/08/2008)
The Lure of the East. British Orientalist Painting (Yale Center for British Art 07/02/2008-27/04/2008)
Ex Oriente Lux (Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin 01/01/1989-31/12/1989)
Treasures for the Nation (British Museum 01/01/1989-31/12/1989)
The Burlington House Fair (Royal Academy of Arts 01/01/1987-31/12/1987)
The Inspiration of Egypt Its Influence on British Artists, Travellers and Designers, 1700-1900 (Brighton Museum and Art Gallery 01/01/1983-31/12/1983)
A Middle Eastern Journey Artists on their travels from the collection of Rodney Searight (Edinburgh Talbot Rice Art Centre 01/01/1980-31/12/1980)
Labels and date
British Galleries:
This painting represents the principal room in the women's apartments of the Bayt al-Sadat, a fine house that still exists in Cairo. The artist campaigned to preserve the domestic architecture and interiors of Cairo, recording them in careful, accurate paintings. [27/03/2003]
Subjects depicted
Cairo; House of Shayk Sadat; Sharia al Gammamiz, Cairo
Categories
Paintings
Collection code
PDP
