Description
Edouard Frederic Wilhelm Richter (German, 1844-1913)
Woman in front of a window reading a letter
signed and inscribed ‘E.Richter’ (Upper right)
Oil on canvas Relined with original gilt frame
Frame tag “Edouard F. W. Richter/ Escola Francesa/ Salao De Paris 1876”
Canvas: 18.5 x 15 inches
Frame: 25 x 22 inches
From a distinguished gentleman in Montevideo Uruguay.
Edouard Richter was born in 1844 to a Dutch mother and German father. His extensive artistic education took him to the Hague Academy, then to Antwerp and finally to the Académie de Beaux-Arts in Paris where he trained under Léon Bonnat. Richter first exhibited a still-life at the Salon in 1866 and received honourable mention. However for the following 50 years, he submitted a range of subject matter including portraits, historical genre scenes and more specifically Orientalist subjects.
Richter’s favourite subject was the female. Whether European or Middle Eastern, he illustrated dignified, yet languid beauties at the centre of his compositions. His Orientalist subjects demonstrate a certain studied theatricality in the gesture of the figures and the composition as seen in the present lot, as well as an exquisite handling of the textures and colors. The young woman dressed in elaborate clothes is seated in front of a window with whimsical thoughts from reading a letter. The sunlight defines her silhouette.