(Avranches 1858–1959 Paris)
An Arab Rider Resting, oil on canvas, 42 x 70.5 cm, framed

A certificate issued by Frédérick Chanoit, 7 July 2023, is available upon request.

The French artist Marie Aimée Lucas-Robiquet was one of the European artists who turned to Orientalism. The myth of the Orient fascinated numerous painters in the 19th century. What distinguished Lucas-Robiquet was that, despite all the obstacles faced by female artists of her time, she herself travelled to North Africa to paint on location. She became known for her African and Algerian motifs and belonged to the Société des Artistes Français. This society, which held the annual “Salon des artistes français” exhibition, united all French artists.
Lucas-Robiquet was a recognised artist during her lifetime; however, her works disappeared from public view after her death. Her oeuvre was only rediscovered a few years ago, leading to her paintings being traded internationally at auction.
In the present work, the eye is drawn to the horse and the resting rider and also to the landscape depicted in reddish-brown tones. Lucas-Robiquet often devoted herself to the interplay between light and shadow in her paintings. The midday heat and aridity conveyed in the painting are intensified by the exhausted-looking figures, who seem to have a long way yet to go in the deserted landscape.