The interaction between a craftsman and buyers against the backdrop of traditional wooden architecture is transformed into an aesthetic vision, a classic example of Orientalist paintings that were a collector’s treasure in the early modern world.
The American artist Edwin Lord Weeks, who painted the original artwork that is recreated in this piece, traveled extensively- to Egypt, Morocco, Persia, and India, and captured his adventures in the timeless space of art, creating masterpieces of oil paintings, which represent some of the best Orientalist art of 19th century.
The teakwood carved structure in the background is a traditional element of Havelis and homes in Western India, in front of which a thin-bodied craftsman sits, contrasted by the imposing figures of the two sellers, clad in silk garbs and carrying horses that express their wealth and status.
A parrot perched on a stick in front of the Haveli and the eye of the horse, slightly visible and sparkling, infuse the canvas with a natural animation, while dark colors and play of light and shade create a detailed scene, looking at which the audience finds themselves suddenly transported to 19th-century bustling streets of Gujarat.
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