Seated Arab Man with Horse

Curatorial Overview

“While his horse rests nearby, an Arab man sits before the walls of a city, relaxed yet alert. Although he is unnamed, his pronounced dignity may be an allusion to the Algerian military and religious leader ‘Abd al-Qadir (1808–1883). A foe of the French following their invasion of his country in 1830, the statesman eventually earned his adversaries’ respect for his courage, wisdom, and judgement. This man bears a general physical resemblance to ‘Abd al-Qadir, whose likeness was widely disseminated through paintings, prints, and photographs. Dedreux, a popular painter of equestrian subjects, made at least two portraits of horses belonging to him in the 1850s.”