Three Bedouin Men
1868 - 1877
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Louis P. Church
Accession Number
1917-4-425-b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Frederic Edwin Church, a master of the Hudson River School known for his monumental landscapes like *Niagara* and *Heart of the*, ventured beyond American wilderness in 1868. That year, he embarked on an ambitious journey to the Middle East, including Egypt and the Holy Land, with his family. *Three Bedouin Men*, between 1868 and1877, captures this exotic sojourn through intimate portraits of nomadic Arab figures—likely sketched on site and refined later. As a rare figure study from Church's oeuvre, it reflects his keen eye for cultural encounters amid his lifelong pursuit of sublime nature. ...