Artwork
Hassan: A Fellah Boy of Upper Egypt
Hassan: A Fellah Boy of Upper Egypt is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Haag. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
A German travel artist painted this watercolour in Cairo in 1858. Carl Haag showed a boy from Upper Egypt during a trip to Suez. The boy was a fellah, a local farmer, not a slave.
The trip crossed the desert with an artist friend, Frederick Goodall. They both made many watercolours along the way.
See more by Haag at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This watercolour, titled Hassan: A Fellah Boy of Upper Egypt, was created by Carl Haag, a German-born artist known for his travel paintings.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a young boy from Upper Egypt, identified as a 'fellah', a term referring to the local farming population, distinct from slaves.
History & Provenance
Haag produced this work in Cairo in 1858, during a desert journey to Suez accompanied by fellow artist Frederick Goodall, with whom he shared an interest in capturing the scenery and people through watercolours.
Technique & Style
The artwork is executed in watercolour, a medium Haag utilised to record his observations during travels.
Artist & collection
Artist
Haag painted scenes from Europe and the Middle East in watercolour. See a boy from Upper Egypt in *Hassan: A Fellah Boy of Upper Egypt*, peek through the gate *Bab-el-Khataneen* in Jerusalem, or enter a prison with *The…
A Young Black Woman Fetching Water
Head of an Egyptian Girl, probably a Bedouin
North African man in travelling costume
Arab Lad
Cap de negru
Young Soldier
A European in Oriental dress, seated cross legged
Abyssinian Christian in Cairo. On Pilgrimage to El-Tin
A Moroccan Amir
Soldier
Head of an Egyptian Girl
In the Desert