Le Jardin Shepheard's hotel, Le Caire (2021) Tablo L'Orientaliste tarafından

Le Jardin Shepheard's Hotel, Le Caire
30 x 40 cm
Signed Rozlynn L
SOLD in the UK to a private client (artwork located in Luxor)

Exotic landscape painting of the garden area at Shepheard's hotel in the early 1900's Cairo.

The painting a redrawn view of the garden, measures 12 x 16 inches in acrylic medium by artist R Lawrence executed on quality canvas, illustrates the view of the idlic hotel garden, filled with lush green shrubs and leafy bushes, which cluster round the almost secluded garden but for the towering three story Shepheard's hotel overlooking the garden area.

The garden is formed of grassy areas carpeting the garden grounds with pathways which disappear into the rear of the garden creating an illusion of depth.

In the garden grounds are guests, ladies relaxing under a large blue parasol from the heat of the sun whilst other guests stroll through the garden.

To the left foreground strolling into the garden are a well dress couple, the man on the right looking debonair, a man of moderate means dressed in a greyish stylish suit wearing a brimmed hat holding a cane. By his left side is a lady in a yellow flowing dress wearing a large yellow hat with a sweeping brim.

The scene of the garden was first drawn by an unknown artist around early 20th century between 1900 and 1910.


Background of the Hotel

Established in 1841 by Samuel Shepheard, an English man from West Northamptonshire who named it Hotel des Anglais "English hotel" then layer renamed it to Shepheard's hotel. Samuel co-owned the hotel with a Mr. Hill who relinquished his interest in the hotel in 1861 leaving Samuel sole owner.

In it's time the hotel was a leading hotel, known for it's luxury, opulence and famous guests and militry.  It's decor in pharaonic style, pillars as those at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor. It was furnished with Persian carpets and decorated walls with paintings and drawings of Ancient Egypt to say the least. Surrounding the hotel, lay lavish gardens, large terraces and great pillars.

The hotel was renowned throughout the Middle East and Europe and was the centre to social and political events and the prime stopping place for visitors to Egypt from its opening in 1845, one of its many distinguished guests was Charles Lang Freer, an American industrialist and art collector who later donated his collection of Asian art to the Smithsonian.

The hotel became the playground for international aristocracy where any person of social standing made a point of being seen taking afternoon tea on its famous terrace.

The hotel is said to have had many notable guests including Aga Khan, the Maharajah of Jodhpur, Winston Churchill, explorer Henry Morton Stanley, Field Marshall Herbert Kichener, T.E. Laurence, Theodore Roosevelt, the Prince of Wales, Richard Burton and many more.

The hotel has also been a setting and portrayed in varous films scenes eg. the 1934 British film The Camels are Coming.

The hotel's American Bar was frequented not only by Americans but also by French and British officers. There were nightly dances at which men appeared in military uniform and women in evening gowns,
it hosted the celebration of the Grand Opening of the Suez Canal.

On January 26, 1952 the hotel was totally destroyed during the Cairo Fire during the anti-British riots.

The painting is sold to a private client located in Luxor. The artwork is one of a pair created in high quality acrylics on stretched linen canvas. Fascinated with the history of the old origin hotel in it's lush surrounding gardens, the artwork was created from several news clippings and imagination of people of the era.

Thanks for viewing.

İlgili temalar

Samuel ShepheardCairoJardinPalm TreesGrand Hotel