Orientalist oil painting depicting the trade of a horse by Pilny

Orientalist oil painting depicting the trade of a horse by Pilny
Swiss, 1913
Canvas: Height 80cm, width 121cm
Frame: Height 102cm, width 142cm, depth 6cm
 
This beautiful Orientalist painting depicts a trade negotiation within the desert. In the foreground, two Arab men discuss the sale of an elegant white horse. With its saddle removed for better viewing, the horse is likely the highly distinctive Arabian breed: dating back to the 3rd century BCE, the Arabian horse is notable for its high tail carriage and unique head shape.
 
Pilny effectively conveys the heated dynamics of negotiation: the seller gestures to the horse with his right hand and leans towards the buyer in a persuasive stance, whilst the seated figure gazes intently at the horse. The buyer sits atop a richly patterned rug, with a hookah pipe in hand. In the background, further tradesmen can be seen in seated discussion, with two grazing camels behind them. All of the figures are dressed in flowing robes, rendered in a palette of cream, red, and blue.
 
Pilny’s use of light and brushwork is particularly effective: the orange tones of the twilight sky cast the subjects in an appealing warm glow, whilst the gestural brushwork conveys the contrasting textures of the rolling dunes and cascading robes.
 
The painting is signed in the lower right-hand corner ‘OTTO PILNY’. Pilny (1866-1936) was a Czech-Swiss painter, who is known for his Orientalist genre scenes that captured the warm light of the North African landscape.
 
Rendering a highly desirable subject in a stunning colour palette, this magnificent painting would light up any home interior.
 
Artist/Maker: Otto Pilny