A STRIKING view of Cairo entitled Le Muezzin by French Orientalist artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, was sold in Sotheby's this week for £421,250 against an estimate of £350,000-500,000. Claude Piening, senior director, said: “We are delighted with the performance of the Orientalist component of our sale, in particular the prices achieved for the works of art of Egyptian interest. The great Orientalist masters, such as Gérôme and Girardet, were captivated by Egypt's rich cultural legacy and natural beauty, and today's results further demonstrate not only collectors' demand for these great painters' artistic interpretations and views, but also the timeless appeal of Egypt as a theme.” Painted in 1865, the evocative painting Le Muezzin captures the moment on a hot afternoon when a muezzin begins his call to prayer atop a minaret, and Cairo falls silent below him. The high dome seen in the background of the scene is believed to be the famed mosque of Sultan Hassan. With great mastery, the celebrated artist evokes the utter stillness both of the city and of the desert air and the heat is made almost palpable to the viewer through the contrast between the shade cast by the minaret and the brilliant, hot light below.
