Portrait of the Katchef Dahouth, Christian Mameluke
Historical Context
Girodet's 1804 portrait of the Katchef Dahouth, a Christian Mameluke, reflects the intense French fascination with Egypt following Napoleon's 1798 campaign. Several Mameluke warriors returned to France with the army and became exotic celebrities in Parisian society. Girodet, who painted the celebrated Revolt of Cairo, brought the same Romantic intensity to this portrait, combining ethnographic observation with idealized heroism.
Technical Analysis
The oil-on-canvas portrait demonstrates Girodet's Davidian training in the precise rendering of the Mameluke's exotic costume and weaponry. The warm flesh tones and dramatic lighting create a compelling character study that balances documentary precision with Romantic idealization.
Provenance
The artist’s studio, estate inventory, April 11, 1925, no. 216 [see Bajou and Lemeux-Fraitot 2002]; Girodet Sale, Paris, April 11, 1825, lot 1; bought for 2050 Francs by Bellot [according to the record of sale, no. 266, see Voignier 2005]. Louis Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, later king of France (died 1850), Paris by 1826 [according to Vatout 1826]; sale, Paris, April 28, 1851, lot 51, as Le Katchef Dahouth. Turc; bought for 510 Francs by Mènet (Monet?), Brussels [according to annotated copy of the catalogue at the R.K.D., The Hague]. Mr. Gary Mayer; sold Sotheby’s, New York, February 27, 1986, lot 30 as Portrait du Katchef Dahouth, Mameluck Chrétien, de la Géorgie, Âgé de Plus de 70 Ans. Colnaghi Gallery, New York by 1987; sold to the Art Institute, 1987.
