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Sunset, Tombs Near Cairo
(18th and 19th Centuries )
The composition of "A Well in the East," dated 1847, in the Wallace Collection, London (inv. no. P 263) has been reversed in this picture. The rich coloring of the sunset and the thick impasto of our picture are reminiscent of Decamps' painting. However, the lack of definition of forms at both sides of the picture, the reversal of the composition and the unusual signature in cursive script suggest that the painting is a forgery. Dewey F. Mosby in "Alexandre-Fabriel Decamps, 1803-1860" dissertation, Harvard University, 1973, illustrates a number of forgeries involving reversal of compositions (nos. 224, 24, and 62).
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Mrs. S. D. Warren; Mrs. S. D. Warren Sale, American Art Association, New York, January 8, 1903, no. 42; purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1903; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 1902 | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1902. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 2/7/1968 | Treatment | loss compensation; coated; other |
Geographies
France (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 12 13/16 x W: 24 13/16 in. (32.5 x 63 cm); Framed H: 24 1/2 x W: 36 1/2 in. (62.23 x 92.71 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1903
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.8