Artwork
Abu Daood, Shaikh of the Coptic Quarter, in Cairo
Abu Daood, Shaikh of the Coptic Quarter, in Cairo is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Carl Haag. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Carl Haag's watercolour, Abu Daood, Shaikh of the Coptic Quarter, in Cairo, was created during the artist's 1858–59 residency in Cairo. The work is one of two portraits of the subject by Haag and fellow artist F. Goodall, with whom Haag shared a Coptic Quarter residence.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Abu Daood, an elderly Shaikh of Cairo's Coptic Quarter, seated in a vibrant, ornately tiled room. His attire—a striped turban, long blue robe, and red slippers—and his pose with a staff convey dignity and age. Surroundings, including a teapot and cups on a nearby table, suggest a scene of quiet, everyday nobility.
Technique & Style
Haag employed characteristic late 19th-century European travel painting techniques, emphasizing the interplay of light and shadow to render the subject's wrinkles and textile details. The watercolour's execution reflects the artist's observation of Middle Eastern subjects during his travels.
History & Provenance
An earlier version of the portrait was exhibited at the Fine Art Society in 1882, followed by the watercolour's display at the Royal Watercolour Society in 1886. The piece was acquired from Sotheby’s in July 1971.
Context
Created during Haag's Cairo residency, the work reflects the European artistic fascination with Middle Eastern culture during the late 19th century. The shared subject with F. Goodall highlights the communal artistic experience of European expats in the region.
Legacy
As part of Haag's oeuvre, the portrait contributes to the broader legacy of European travel art, offering a glimpse into 19th-century cross-cultural observation and artistic interpretation of the Middle East.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Carl Haag was a Bavarian-born painter who became a naturalized British subject and was court painter to the duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
A room in the house of Shayk Sadat, Cairo
Figure of a Man in Arab dress, seated, holding a spear
Western Gentleman in Oriental Costume
Achmet Girgeh
A European in Oriental dress, seated cross legged
A Fakeer at the Door of a Mosque, Constantinople
Portrait, head and shoulders, facing left, of an oriental man wearing a white turban
Figure of a Man in Arab dress, reclining, smoking a chibouk
Mosque of Sidi Bu Madyan, Tlemcen![Blind Egyptian with a Madrab [Teasel], by Egron Sillif Lundgren](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/egron-sillif-lundgren--blind-egyptian-with-a-madrab-teasel--05374d5103b0d694-w320.webp)
Blind Egyptian with a Madrab [Teasel]
Baltadgi
Turkish Boy with Attendant