09 Paintings by Orientalist Artist Otto Pilny's Desert dance scene, with footnotes, #98

Otto Pilny, Budweis 1866–1936 Zurich

Dance in the Desert, c. 1918

Oil on canvas, unlined

112 x 161 cm.; 47¾ x 63½ in.

Private collection

Sold for 100,800 GBP in March 2021

Though little is known of Pilny's early artistic career, it may have been during a brief period of study in Vienna that he was encouraged to travel abroad. Ludwig Deutsch (1855–1935), Rudolf Ernst (1854–1932), and Carl Leopold Müller (1834–1892) had all made this city synonymous with Orientalist art, exhibiting their pictures of Middle Eastern life to great acclaim. Pilny's first trip to Egypt – the favorite destination of the Austro-Hungarian school – took place in 1889; a second journey followed three years later. The paintings that resulted record not merely the landscapes and people that Pilny encountered but also the magical effects of Eastern light and sun. More on this painting

Otto Pilny, (Schweitz, 1866-1936)

Desert dance scene

Oil on canvas

111 x 160 cm.

Private collection

Sold for 25,400 GBP in April 2024

Otto Pilny (SWISS, 1866-1936)

A dance in the desert, c. 1898

Oil on canvas

31 ½ x 47 ½ in. (80 x 120.5 cm.)

Private collection

Sold for GBP 12,500 in Mar 2017

Otto Pilny (Swiss, 1866-1936)

The best dancer, c. 1913

Oil on canvas

120.5 x 185.5cm (47 1/2 x 73in).

Private collection

Sold for US$132,000 in May 2010

The best dancer is a particularly virtuoso representation of one of the artist's favourite themes. The painting is a fine example of the luminosity which is so typical of Pilny's work. As the sun sets, the silhouette of the dancer and her audience become clearer. The orange tones, unique to the desert sun, were of particular interest to the artist. Pilny retells the simplicity of Bedouin life by illustrating the enjoyment of the viewers. He also invites us to watch the almost life-size dancer by creating a direct line of sight to the performance without any obstructions. He was a prolific painter and fuelled by his love for the Orient he left behind a wide oeuvre in which the warm tones and vibrant atmosphere of tribal desert dominate the scene. More on this painting

Otto Pilny (Swiss, 1866-1936)

The Dancer

Oil on canvas

111.5 by 160cm., 44 by 63in.

Private collection

Sold for 63,650 GBP in May 2011

Otto Pilny

Dancing at Sunset, c. 1905

Oil on canvas

120.5 by 179.5cm., 47½ by 70¾in.

Private collection

Sold for GBP 22,500 in May 2013

Otto Pilny

Dancing at Sunset

Oil on canvas

80.5 by 120cm., 31½ by 47¼in.

Private collection

Sold for 63,650 GBP in May 2011

Pilny was especially interested in capturing the effects of directional light on the sand and figures in order to evoke a powerful impression, sometimes at the expense of ethnographic accuracy, as in the present work. While the individual figures and their costumes are minutely observed, they in fact hail from different parts of the Middle East: the figure on the left wears a Tunisian style fez, while the two seated men in the left foreground wear the headresses unique to modern-day Iraq and Saudi Arabia, respectively. The girl herself appears, judging by her complexion, to be North African, probably Egyptian. More on this painting

Otto Pilny

The desert dance

Oil on canvas

31 ¾ x 47 ½ in. (80.6 x 120.7 cm.)

Private collection

Sold for USD 4,375 in Dec 2018

Otto Pilny

DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS, c. 1916

Oil on canvas

130 by 160cm., 51 by 63in.

Private collection

Sold for 51,650 GBP in May 2011

Otto Pilny was a Swiss painter. He was born in 1866 in Budweis and died in 1936 in Zürich. He began his artistic education in Prague and lived in Vienna for a time before ultimately settling in Zurich. He travelled to Egypt twice, making his first visit in 1875 where he stayed for two years. He was so captivated by the landscape, people and their mores that he spent the rest of his career painting Orientalist works. He was particularly taken by the Bedouin customs and often travelled with them into the desert where he could sketch the evening entertainment which he would later use on his massive canvases. His second visit to the East was from 1889 to 1892. It was at this time that his work pleased the King of Egypt, Abbas II, and he was asked to decorate the order of the Medjidije. More Otto Pilny

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints and 365 Days, also visit my Boards on Pinterest

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01 Painting by Orientalist Artists. Cesare Felix Georges dell' Acqua's Greek mother, with footnotes, #97

Cesare Felix Georges dell' Acqua (ITALIAN, 1821-1904)

Greek mother, c. 1860

Oil on canvas

86 x 66 cm.

Private collection

Sold for £938,400 in December 2007

This painting is an archetypal image of the Greek War of Independence and a classic document in the history of 19th century Philhellenism. As noted by F.M. Tsigakou in her seminal book The Rediscovery of Greece.

Cesare dell Acqua's Greek Mother is a scene full of drama and emotion. Frightened yet fierce, the young mother leaves the spectator in no doubt that no enemy will ever take her child from her arms. Such a scene not only moves the heart but sanctifies the Greek cause, while alluding to a heroic, glorious past. 

The war provided European artists with a wealth of themes. Pictorially, the heroic, religious, classical and oriental elements of the Revolution offered them particularly sensational subject matter. Furthermore, the theme was so familiar to the European public that artists utilised it to allude to the oppression in their own countries. More on this painting

The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution of 1821 was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by the British Empire, France, and Russia, while the Ottomans were aided by their North African vassals, particularly the eyalet of Egypt. The war led to the formation of modern Greece. The revolution is celebrated by Greeks around the world as independence day on 25 March. More on The Greek War of Independence

Cesare Felix Georges dell' Acqua was born in Pirano d'Istria near Trieste in 1821 and died in Brussels in 1904. He entered the Venice Academy in 1842 and studied painting under Ludovico Lipparini, Odorico Politi and Michelangelo Grigoletti. One of his early works, The Meeting of Cimabue and the Young Giotto (1847) was noticed and acquired by Archduke Johann of Austria. In this period he also received commissions from Prince von Lichtenstein. Soon after, the artist continued his studies in Paris and in 1847 he moved to Brussels where his brother Eugène lived. There he became a student of Gallait. Following his studies, he travelled to Vienna, Munich and Paris, along with his patron, the Hungarian Baron Ludovico Luigi Reszan. Soon after, he painted two large pictures for the Greek Orthodox Church of Trieste, one of which, The Sermon of John in the Dessert, was so acclaimed that he was awarded town citizenship in 1851. The other painting, Jesus Calling the Small Children to Him, was shown in the 1854 Brussels Exhibition, where he received the gold medal. 

Dell' Acqua always knew how to pick attractive or interesting historical subjects. He also painted watercolours, a large collection of which was in the hands of Countess Duval de Beaulieu in Brussels. Some of his works were acquired by the collection of the Belgian Royal Palace. Besides historical romantic motifs he also painted subjects drawn from daily life. Between 1858 and 1866 he produced a number of large works in the Miramare Palace of Kaiser Maximilian, recounting the long history of the area. Works by Dell' Acqua are included in major private and public collections, such as the museums of Brussels, Antwerp, Trieste and Bruges. Besides this rich output, Dell' Acqua painted many attractive female half-length portraits clad in traditional Greek and oriental garb. More on Cesare Felix Georges dell' Acqua

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, Portrait of a Lady, The Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of Venice, Middle East Artists, 365 Saints, 365 Days, and Biblical Icons, also visit my Boards on Pinterest and my art stores at  deviantart and Aaroko

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.

Please note that the content of this post primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.