6417 - Franz Xavier von Pausinger (1839–1915), “Night in the Desert,” Egypt(?), 1880s

Franz Xavier von Pausinger (1839–1915), “Night in the Desert,” Egypt(?), 1880s Charcoal on paper, mounted on canvas. Large-format scene depicting a nighttime rest stop in an Arabian desert. Signed “F. Pausinger” in the lower right corner; the signature is difficult to read. Water damage along the lower edge; otherwise, there are cracks and retouching in places. Unframed. Dimensions: 96 x 130.5 cm. Franz Xavier von Pausinger (1839–1915) was a well-known painter from Salzburg. In 1881, he accompanied Rudolf of Austria-Hungary on a journey through Egypt and Palestine, during which the Crown Prince took a particular interest in hunting and ornithological studies in the Orient. His documented experiences were published that same year under the title “Eine Orientreise” (A Journey to the Orient), incorporating Pausinger’s illustrations, and were translated into many languages. Marlies Dornig dedicated her dissertation, defended at the University of Vienna in 2016, “My Whole Concept of the World Has Changed: The Animal and Hunting Painter Franz von Pausinger on New Artistic Paths on the Occasion of Crown Prince Rudolf’s Journey to the Orient in 1881” to Pausinger’s artistic contribution to this endeavor. Of the approximately 130 charcoal drawings formerly in the imperial collection, 99 are now held in the print collection of the Austrian National Library. Condition: III