Orientals

Painted in 1872, Orientals is a work by Eugène Fromentin, now in the collection of Minneapolis Institute of Art, that reflects the artistic concerns of the late 19th century — an era of fundamental transformation in both the methods and purposes of European and American painting. Eugène Fromentin was both a distinguished Orientalist painter and an important art critic — his book Les maîtres d'autrefois remains a significant work of art history. His paintings of Algeria and Egypt, the result of three extended visits to North Africa, captured the light, color, and movement of Arab life with a poetic quality that distinguished him from more sensationalist Orientalists.

Fromentin captured North African light with a warm, golden palette dominated by ochres, tawny browns, and dusty blues. His handling is fluid and confident, rendering the movement of horses and figures with the assurance of an experienced observer.