Antique Orientalist oil painting of a street scene by Ellis

This figurative painting is filled with vibrant colours, and shows the skill of its maker.  

The painting depicts a busy street scene in Jerusalem. Using aerial perspective, the artist creates a distant vanishing point, allowing an extended perspective of the street. The long alley is teeming with figures, some of whom are dressed in typical ‘Orientalist’ robes, whilst others are in more ‘Western’ styles of dress. A large camel provides a focal point in the foreground, led through the street towards the viewer. The surrounding buildings and environment are highly evocative – the cobbled stones and series of archways connote a sense of distance from Western architectural styles. The plethora of open windows heightens the bustling atmosphere.

The painterly rendering of the work, almost sketched in its quality, adds a further sense of immediacy to the scene. The artist’s handling of light is also particularly impressive, contrasting the bright blue sky with patches of shadow in the alley below.

The painting is signed in the lower left corner 'Paul. H. Ellis'. Born in Birmingham, Ellis (fl. 1882-1908) is most known for his Orientalist scenes like this painting in the Mayfair Gallery collection. He exhibited works at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists and the Royal Institute over the course of his career.

Enclosed in a wonderfully carved giltwood frame, the canvas is inscribed 'Street Scene / Jerusalem' on the reverse.

Bathed in warm light, this stunning Orientalist scene exemplifies the skill of this English artist.

Canvas: Height 26cm, width 21cm
Frame: Height 46.5cm, width 41.5cm, depth 7cm