A North African Fellah

Henriette Browne, the professional name adopted by Sophie de Boutailler, became a highly regarded female painter and was often compared with Jean-Léon Gérôme and Eugène Fromentin. Her marriage to Jules de Saux (secretary to the diplomat Comte Walewski) in 1853, assured her introduction into diplomatic circles and facilitated her frequent travel to destinations such as Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and Syria. Browne's first Orientalist works, harem paintings, generated considerable interest when exhibited at the Salon of 1861. The present work, dated 1876, was probably painted during Browne's travels through Morocco and Algeria. The lovely young North African fellah exudes a gracefulness and youthful charm. Browne's penchant for depicting Oriental clothes is evident through her beautiful painterly handling of the girl's richly textured headscarf.