ALPHONSE BIRCK (FRENCH 1859-1942)BEDOUIN IN A DESERT LANDSCAPE (probably Algeria)
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ALPHONSE BIRCK (FRENCH 1859-1942)
BEDOUIN IN A DESERT LANDSCAPE (probably Algeria)
Watercolour
Signed (lower right)
29 x 55.5cm (11¼ x 21¾ in.)
Alphonse Birck was born in 1859 in Metz. At the age of 16, he moved to Paris where he joined the School of Decorative Arts before continuing his education in free academies. Birck began to show his works very early, he exhibited publicly for the first time in Parisian Salons at the age of 28. Attracted by Algeria like many artists who follow the orientalist movement, he decided to go into exile there with his family during the Annexation of Metz in 1906. From then on, the life of Alphonse Birck will be shared between Algiers and Fontainebleau.
In Algeria, Birck mainly painted scenes of daily life, landscapes and portraits. The artist will explain that his passion for this country comes from the fact that it represents, for him, a “summary of all the East”. Despite his many travels, he would therefore often return there to draw his inspiration. Indeed, if Alphonse Birck travelled to Egypt, Palestine or Syria over the years, most of the landscapes in his paintings are Algerian. Not limiting himself to these simple landscapes, the painter draws on all the folklore of the country to enrich his compositions.
Alphonse Birck will be best known for his very realistic and often feminine portraits, which highlight the typical outfits of the country. Alphonse Birck's compositions are mostly clear. He avoids dark colours in order to best depict the warm atmosphere and the power of the sun's rays typical of the dry and arid Mediterranean climate. Likewise, this delicacy and mastery of pictorial techniques can be seen in his subtle portraits. In watercolour or pastel, the painter always manages to make us travel through his paintings.
BEDOUIN IN A DESERT LANDSCAPE (probably Algeria)
Watercolour
Signed (lower right)
29 x 55.5cm (11¼ x 21¾ in.)
Alphonse Birck was born in 1859 in Metz. At the age of 16, he moved to Paris where he joined the School of Decorative Arts before continuing his education in free academies. Birck began to show his works very early, he exhibited publicly for the first time in Parisian Salons at the age of 28. Attracted by Algeria like many artists who follow the orientalist movement, he decided to go into exile there with his family during the Annexation of Metz in 1906. From then on, the life of Alphonse Birck will be shared between Algiers and Fontainebleau.
In Algeria, Birck mainly painted scenes of daily life, landscapes and portraits. The artist will explain that his passion for this country comes from the fact that it represents, for him, a “summary of all the East”. Despite his many travels, he would therefore often return there to draw his inspiration. Indeed, if Alphonse Birck travelled to Egypt, Palestine or Syria over the years, most of the landscapes in his paintings are Algerian. Not limiting himself to these simple landscapes, the painter draws on all the folklore of the country to enrich his compositions.
Alphonse Birck will be best known for his very realistic and often feminine portraits, which highlight the typical outfits of the country. Alphonse Birck's compositions are mostly clear. He avoids dark colours in order to best depict the warm atmosphere and the power of the sun's rays typical of the dry and arid Mediterranean climate. Likewise, this delicacy and mastery of pictorial techniques can be seen in his subtle portraits. In watercolour or pastel, the painter always manages to make us travel through his paintings.
