Adolf Sandoz, an Orientalist Painter in Algeria Agata Wójcik
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RIHA Journal 0149 | 01 April 2017 Adolf Sandoz, an Orientalist Painter in Algeria Agata Wójcik Polish version available at: / Wers a pols!a dost#pna po" a"rese$: http://%%%&riha' ournal&or(/articles/2017/014*'%o ci!'pl (RIHA Journal 0148) Abstract A"ol- .arol /an"o0 was a 19th')entur1 Polish artist who spent his li-e an" "evelope" his artisti) )areer in 2ran)e& In Paris3 he stu"ie" paintin( an" ar)hite)ture3 an" wor!e" as a pro-essional illustrator& He )an also be lin!e" with a )ir)le o- artist'travellers3 %ho sear)he" -or ne% sour)es o- inspiration in the 4rient& In 1879 an" 1881, /an"o0 travelle" in Al(eria& He "es)ribe" his i$pressions -ro$ the 5rst ourne1 in vivi"l1 written $e$oires publishe" b1 the Kra!o% ournal 60as& His travels inspire" several (enre paintin(s3 in)lu"in(: Interior o- a House in 7is!ra3 8an)er -ro$ the 9le" :ail ;ribe3 Arab Wo$an b1 a 6ra"le3 <ornin( in the /ahara3 =venin( in the /ahara3 4asis3 4n the 4ue" Riverban! at =l .antara 4asis3 an" /hei! <istress o- =l .antara& At present3 his wor!s e$er(e at art au)tions3 are !nown -ro$ repro"u)tions3 or onl1 -ro$ "es)riptions& /an"o0 exhibite" in Paris3 Warsa%3 Kra!o%3 an" Lviv, where he was appre)iate" by art )riti)s& ;he ai$ o- this arti)le is to intro"u)e San"o0’s ourney to Al(eria3 analyse his paintin(s with e>oti) sub e)t $atter3 an" lo)ate the$ %ithin a wi"er )ontext o- orientalist paintin(& It will also present the histor1 o- artisti) travel to Al(eria un"erta!en by 19th')entur1 painters, in)lu"in( those fro$ Polan"& Contents Intro"u)tion Painters in Al(eria in the 19th centur1 Polish painters in Al(eria in the 19th an" early 20th centur1 A"ol- San"o0As travels to Al(eria A"ol- San"o0As paintin(s fro$ Al(eria A"ol- San"o0As wor! fro$ Al(eria an" orientalist paintin( o- the se)on" hal- o- the 19th centur1 Intro"u)tion B1C In the earl1 1880s3 )riti)s visitin( exhibitions in Kra!o%3 ?viv, an" Warsa% note" %ith interest wor!s presentin( s)enes -ro$ the li-e o- inhabitants o- :orth A-ri)a& ;hese see$e" interestin( both -or their sub e)t $atter3 as %ell as -or their -or$& 6uriosit1 was also raise" b1 their author3 A"ol- .arol /an"o0 +2i(& 1), a RIHA Journal 0149 | 01 April 2017 pro$isin( youn( artist3 about %ho$ it was sai" in Polan" that he was eDuall1 talente" as a painter3 an ar)hite)t3 an" a $usi)ian&1 ;he paintin(s exhibite" were results o- /an"o0As re)ent travels to Al(eria& ;he painter a)hieve" a""itional publi)it1 -or his wor!s by publishin( "es)riptions o- the$ as well as e>)erpts o- his vivi"l1 written travel ournals3 in %hi)h he insiste" that his ourne1 to A-ri)a was Ea $a(i)al ourne1 to the lan" o- sun an" )olours BFC %hi)h outran anythin( I )oul" have i$a(ine". It see$s to me those were the most beauti-ul days o- m1 li-eE&2 1 Photo(raph o- A"ol- /an"o0 (b& 1*4G,3 4th Duarter o- the 19th )entur1 (repro"& -ro$: =$$anuel /%ie1!o%ski3 Pa$i#tni! ;o%ar01st%a Pr01 aciHI /0tu! Pi#kn1ch % .ra!o%ie 1*G4J19043 .ra!H% 190G, B2C At present3 /an"o0As oriental wor!s are in private )olle)tions an" are !nown onl1 -ro$ repro"u)tions or "es)riptions3 -or whi)h reason their author is rarel1 in)lu"e" in stu"ies on Polish an" =uropean orientalist paintin(. The ai$ o- this text is to present the histor1 o- the "is)over1 o- Al(eria b1 painters an" to intro"u)e /an"o0As ourne13 to )on"u)t analysis o- his paintin(s with e>oti) sub e)t $atter 1 A"ol- /an"o0 (b& 1*4G, ca$e -ro$ Po"olia an" %as e"ucate" in /%it0erlan"& ?ater3 he %ent to Paris, %here3 since 1*KK3 he stu"ie" architecture at the Lcole "es 7eau>'Arts "e Paris. His (ra"uation %or! involve" a pro ect o- the buil"in( o- the Aca"e$1 o- /ciences in Paris. He also stu"ie" paintin( un"er the supervision o- Jules Llie Delauna1 an" Puvis "e 6havannes. He travelle" aroun" Mer$an13 Austria3 an" Ital1& 2inall13 he settle" in Paris, %here he %or!e" as an illustrator& 6-& EA"ol- .arol /an"o0E3 in: Polski /Io%ni! 7io(ra5)0n13 Wro)Ia%3 Warsza%a an" .ra!H% 199N3 vol& N43 n& 1423 4K2& 2 EO listH% A"ol-a /an"o0aE3 in: 60as 271 (1**0,3 1& RIHA Journal 0149 | 01 April 2017 an" )on-ront the$ with wor!s b1 other orientalist artists3 an"3 5nall13 to lo)ate /an"o0As wor!s in the wi"er context o- orientalist paintin( in the se)on" hal- o- the 19th centur1& Painters in Algeria in the 19th )entur1 BNC 9ntil 1830, -or =uropeans Al(eria was an overseas lan" -ull o- $ysteries an" -air1'tales& It was P"is)overe"Q onl1 a-ter the )onDuest b1 the !in( o- 2ran)e3 6harles R& ;his event opene" it -or painters see!in( e>oti) inspirations& ;he ver1 5rst $ilitar1 e>)ursions %ere a))o$panie" b1 artists& A tea$ o- "rau(hts$en was )o$$issione" to )reate re)or"s o- the )onDuest3 "epi)t the topo(raph1 o- the lan"3 the $ove$ents an" )lashes between the two ar$ies as well as portraits o- the )o$$an"ers& ;he (roup o- "rau(hts$en')hroni)lers in)lu"e": ;hSo"ore Jun(3 Maspar" Mobaut3 Pierre Julien Milbert3 Jean Antoine ;hSo"ore Mu"in3 Antoine ?Son <orel'2atio3 an" =u(Tne Isabe1&N In 1839, the painter A"rien 8au0ats -ollowe" the ar$1 o- the Prin)e 2er"inan"'Philippe "@4rleans to Al(eria& ;he (oal o- this e>)ursion was to pa)i-1 the provin)e o- 6onstantine3 while its route went -ro$ 4ran to Al(iers& Artisti) results o- this ourne1 in)lu"e" 8au0atsA water)olours o- the ar$1As passa(e throu(h a $ountain pass )alle" the Iron Mates& ;he artist "isplaye" his wor!s -ro$ Al(eria in 1841 at the Paris /alon& ;he1 also illustrate" the Journal "e l’e>pS"ition "es Portes "e 2er b1 6harles :o"ier3 who also a))o$panie" the e>pe"ition&4 B4C 8ra$ati) war events in Al(eria be)a$e an i$pulse -or presentin( )onte$porar1 histor1 in a subli$e -or$& ;he )onDuest o- :orth A-ri)a be)a$e one o- the lea"in( propa(an"a $oti-s use" b1 Kin( ?ouis Philippe I& ;he ruler en(a(e" -a$ous artists to pro"u)e a series o- battle s)enes -ro$ 2ren)h histor1 inten"e" -or "ispla1 at Uersailles& Pi)tures o- the stru((le in A-ri)a a"orne" the Roo$ o- 6onstantine& ;he1 %ere $a"e b1 Hora)e Uernet3 who visite" Al(eria in 1833, 1837, an" also later in the 1850s& An i$portant $o$ent in the )a$pai(n in Al(eria3 whi)h bro!e resistan)e3 )a$e %ith the Prin)e "AAu$aleAs )apture o- the 2ren)hAs vehe$ent opponent Ab" al'Va"ir& ;his event was "epi)te" b1 Uernet in a (i(anti)3 over twent1 $etres lar(e )anvas& 7attle s)enes -ro$ the )onDuest o- Al(eria also -eature" in wor!s b1 2ren)h painters o- the earl1 20th )entur1 +8enis Au(uste RaWet3 Hippolyte 7ellan(S3 Henri 2Sli> =$$anuel Philippoteau>3 Alphonse 6hi(ot3 Jules Mon(e, É"ouar" Detaille,&G N Llisabeth 6a0enave3 ?es artistes "e lAAl(Srie& Dictionnaire "es peintres, sculpteurs, (raveurs, 1*N0J19K23 Paris 20013 1K-20X <arion Ui"al'7uS3 e"&3 ?es peintres "e lAautre rive& Al(er 1*N0-19N03 e>& cat&3 <arseille 200N3 *X <arion Ui"al'7uS3 ?AAl(Srie "es peintres. 1*N0J19K03 Paris 20023 19& 4 MSrar"'Meor(es ?e$aire3 The 4rient in Western Art3 Paris 200*3 1GKX ?1nne Thornton3 The 4rientalists. Painter';ravellers3 Paris 19943 GGX Ui"al'7uS3 ?AAl(Srie "es peintres3 20& RIHA Journal 0149 | 01 April 2017 BGC 2or artists3 Al(eria be)a$e a ne% territor1 o- e>oti) exploration3 an oriental lan" 5lle" %ith $yster1 an" $ysti)is$ as well as a repositor1 o- irrational wis"o$ an" re)on)ile" )ontra"i)tions& /u)h i$a(e o- the 4rient )an e>plain the paintersA interest in Isla$ an" <usli$ reli(ious rituals J prayers3 pil(ri$a(es to <e))a et)& ;he 4rient is also a spa)e lo)ate" as i- beyon" the real worl"3 outsi"e $oral nor$s& Hen)e3 on the other han"3 the artistsA -as)ination %ith the vast "esert lan"s)ape3 as well as their -reDuent "epi)tions o- hare$s3 investe" %ith eroti)is$ an" violen)e& ;he =ast is also a spa)e -or a )o(nitive ourne13 an ele$ent o- )ultural e"u)ation3 a sta(e in an artisti) ourne1 J 1et another step $a"e b1 painters a-ter visitin( )lassi)al Ital1& ;he =ast is a synon1$ o- internal experien)e3 a spa)e o- exploration o- un!nown aspe)ts o- the hu$an ps1)he an" its "ar! si"e& ;hose explorations were -a)ilitate" b1 Peastern poisonsQ J opiu$ an" hashish J oWerin( ne% sensations an" experien)es& ;he =ast stan"s also -or pi)turesDue "e)a"en)e3 “a sin!in( worl"Q3 -or su)h ne(ative rea"in( )an be -oun" in )o$positions -eaturin( "e)linin( ruins o- an)ient )ivilisations3 s)enes o- the slave tra"e or slau(hter& Artists presentin( battle s)enes -ro$ the histor1 o- oriental )ountries ten"e" to see the =ast as a pi)turesDue sta(e o- wars an" politi)al stru((les3 a ba)!(roun" -or ro$anti) epi)&K An en)ounter with the 4rient J openin( up a variet1 o- the$ati) possibilities J pushe" artists to ta!e up -or$al experi$ents& BKC In the 5rst hal- o- the 19th )entur13 Al(eria was visite" b1 several $a or Ro$anti) painters J =u(Tne 8ela)roi>3 ;hSo"ore 6hassSriau3 an" =u(Tne 2ro$entin& ;heir wor!s an" $e$oirs popularise" the i$a(e o- Al(eria as a lan" -ull o- -air1'tale hare$s3 sun's)or)he" lan"s)apes3 an" oriental horse$en& In the years to -ollo%3 Al(eria was visite" b1 a vast nu$ber o- orientalist painters who represente" a variet1 o- ten"en)ies3 in)lu"in( the Ro$anti)s3 Realists3 as well as I$pressionists& Artists were attra)te" b1 the re$nants o- an)ient )ultures3 pi)turesDue )itys)apes3 pheno$enal "esert lan"s)apes3 intense li(ht an" saturate" )olours3 as %ell as the inhabitants o- Al(eria3 their )lothin(3 "ail1 li-e3 an" )usto$s& 2ren)h artists "o$inate" this (roup3 to $ention su)h 5(ures as ;hSo"ore 2rTre3 6harles "e ;ourne$ine3 2abius 7rest3 Meor(es Washin(ton3 :ar)isse 7er)hTre3 6harles ?an"elle3 Paul ?ero13 Au(uste Renoir3 an" Jean'?Son MSrY$e& ;ravellin( to Al(eria was $a"e possible b1 s)holarship pro(ra$$esX this !in" o- support3 re)eive" in 1884, brou(ht to Al(eria Ltienne 8inet3