Saintin Henri (1846-1899) "pavilion Of Algeria - Universal Exhibition Of Paris 1889" Algiers

SAINTIN Henri (1846-1899)

"The Algerian Pavilion - Universal Exhibition of Paris, 1889"

Oil on panel,
Signed and titled "Expo Univ- 1889" lower left,
Annotated on the back by the artist: "Rue du Caire - Algeria, Exhibition of 1889",

Beautiful work by the painter Henri Saintin which represents an animated view of the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1889, and more precisely of the Palace of Algeria.
We find in this finely detailed work the characteristics of traditional Algerian architecture and its vegetation represented, here, by palm trees.

For the designers of the Palais de l'Algérie: "Their objective for the Palace was to "group [...] the different types of Arab architecture, in order to present, so to speak, all of its essence". The building therefore brought together, in a coherent whole, architectural components from various periods. The 22-metre-high minaret, located at the northern end of the Palace (topped by a tricolour flag recalling that Algeria was a French colony), and the dome of the great vestibule were a copy of those of the 12th-century mosque of Sidi-Abd-er-Rahman, in Algiers.
Some of the earthenware and mosaics were inspired by the Djama-el-Djedid Fisheries Mosque, dating back to the 16th century.
The staircase and the exit door on the south side reproduce those of the Algiers Museum (late 17th-17th centuries). The entrance porch, inspired by the tomb of the last dey of Algiers, was of modern architecture.

We can compare our painting to another work by the artist also representing the Algerian Pavilion which went on sale at Sotheby's on October 31, 2006 in London.

During the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889, the artist focused on painting the ephemeral Paris which in a few months had seen dozens of palaces spring up from the ground. Like a travel diary during the 1889 Exhibition, the artist painted views of the different pavilions: the rue du Caire, the mosques, the banks of the Seine ... from different angles.
The Carnavalet Museum in Paris holds in its collections a work from 1889 which represents a view of the exhibition from the banks of the Seine.

A student of Alexandre Ségé, Isidore Pils and Charles Edme Saint-Marcel at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Henri Saintin was a French painter and watercolourist who made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1867.
He won several medals during his participations and in 1889, for his last participation, received the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris.
The following year, he joined the Société nationale des beaux-arts and exhibited there until 1899.
In particular, he produced decorative panels for the Salon des Lettres during the construction of the Paris City Hall.
The artist drew his inspiration from the Fontainebleau forest and the surrounding area of Paris, on the Côte d'Or, and especially in Brittany. He was named a knight of the Legion of Honour in 1891.
After his death, the contents of his studio, comprising around 308 works, were sold at auction at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris.

His works are now preserved in several public and private collections.

Dimensions: 24.5 x 19 cm without frame and 41 x 36 cm with its gilded wooden frame.

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