(Pomerania 1811–1890 Berlin)
A Caravan in the Desert in a Simoom, signed, dated H. Kretzschmer 1844, oil on canvas, 37 x 50 cm, framed

Provenance:
Private Collection Austria

As a young painter, Johann Hermann Kretzschmer not only followed the tradition of undertaking a voyage to the south of Italy; he also travelled to Egypt in 1840/41, via Greece and Constantinople. This exploration of the east doubtless arose from the desire to extend his pictorial worlds beyond the familiar southern views. Back in Düsseldorf, he produced a series of paintings with oriental themes, with “The Samum in the Desert” from 1844 standing out as a significant example of early Orientalism in Germany. The impressive large-format work is now in the Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig and is a striking piece marked by its atmospheric density and a careful reproduction of the details and patterns of the material.
The lot shown here could be a draft of this work in a small format, with the basic features of the composition already fixed. Glazing brushstrokes surround the figures and convey the wild power of the desert storm, while people and animals alike cower on the ground to escape the biting gusts of sand. Lots of details are already in place at this stage, such as the water bottle and the rolled raffia mat on the right, or the desperate efforts to hold on to the tent that is beginning to be blown apart. Kretzschmer was to change the position of the fiery Arabian horse once again: here, he bounds into the picture from the right, but in the completed version, he is galloping in the opposite direction. In this early version, a few brushstrokes seem to hint at the existence of further figures on the right. Ultimately, it is the changes and discarded ideas for the composition that allow the viewer to participate in the creative process, and which contribute to the appeal of this study.