Carpet sellers and a camel beside the Nile.

Watercolour on a large sheet of paper (image size: 74.5 52 cm), signed at the foot right: "E. Tarenghi". Contemporary (?) gilt wooden frame (89.5 66 cm), behind plastic. Attractive watercolour painting by the Italian orientalist painter Enrico Tarenghi (1848-1938), it shows three bearded men with carpets and two poufs. One of them is clearly the seller, another is inspecting the wares and the third is sitting on the ground rolling up one of the carpets. In the background a wide river (generally assumed to be the Nile), a dromedary and dozens of palm trees. Tarenghi made extensive use of photography in his work and often used photographs as a template for the background. The present setting is found more often in his work, not only showing carpet sellers, but also merchants selling fruit. The carpet trade, however, seems to be one of his favourite subjects regardless of the background. The carpets allowed Tarenghi to show off his skills, with their intricate motives, textures, creases and folds. - Small waterstain and minor defects at the foot and a few other negligible blemishes, but otherwise in very good condition. - For the artist: Thieme & Becker XXXII, p. 445.