|
Having shown this lithographic masterpiece first in the 1861 Paris Salon, the artist at first entitled the print "Abdel el-Kader secourant un chrétien".
The original title refers to one of the more legendary figures in French history of the mid-ninteenth century. Abd el-Kader (1808-1883) was a famed Emir of Algeria who fought at
the head of his country'
s forces against the French army for fifteen years, until surrendering in 1847. After years of captivity in France he eventually settled in 1852 in Damascus,
intending to devote the remaining years of his life to religious study. In July of 1860, periodic warfare broke out between the Moslems and Christians in Syria, with the former embarking
on a massacre of Christians in all areas of the region. Abd el-Kader personally protected several thousand Christians in Damascus, including the French consul. For this deed, the
French government awarded him the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. The sensational deed also inspired a play by Victor Sejour and many prints were telling his story.
Bresdin's print is not a literal portrait of Abd el-Kader, saving a single Christian in the midst of a verdant forest. The general theme of a non-Christian showing compassion for
a Christian would have appealed to Bresdin. He was a devout man and with his and contemporary society`s romantic ideals of more exotic, nobler societies in far lands, the
chivalrous figure of Abd el-Kader was a perfect representative of such an ideal.
Rudolph Bresdin finished work on the design for his master lithograph during the late winter of 1860-1861. As he moved from Toulouse to Paris during this time, he had the
stone printed at the Paris firm of Lemercier et Cie. The small first edition was less than 100 impressions and they are clearly distinguished by the absence of the so-called
white bird. Within this group of early impressions there is considerable variation of appearance and even printing quality. David Becker also discovered a further "state" within
the earliest printing (D. P. Becker, Nouvelles de l'Estampe p. 6-12).
The very first impressions, before the monkey's black leg, are printed on a white, cream, or dark yellow chine. The results are quite different effects: The impressions which
are printed on pure white chine, like ours, are startling in their clarity, with the trees especially vivid, in front of the sky. The print was so successful that after the first
printing of 1861, it was reprinted several times until at least 1899, for a total of almost 1000 impressions.
Excellent early impression on "chine collé" on white velin paper with exceptionally wide margins. In excellent transparent printing quality, in good condition, apart from
restored paper losses in the lower corners, restored tears in the margines and a tiny surface restoration in the subject left.
|
