Interior View of the Mausoleum of Sultan Qalawun in Cairo, from 1874
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions without frame101 × 71 cm
Dimensions with frame110 × 81 cm
About the workWith its attention to detail, this view of the interior of the al-Mansur Qalawun mausoleum in Cairo looks like a photograph. However, it is a painting by the Düsseldorf artist Adolf Seel, whose depictions influenced the European understanding of the “Orient”. The low perspective and framing of the scene make the architecture appear monumental and the people small. Seel shows individuals praying in front of the mihrab, the prayer niche, which is considered one of the most magnificent of its kind from the Islamic Middle Ages. However, it remains hidden from us as viewers, which intensifies the fascination of the unknown.
AccessionBequest Dr. Franz Schoenfeld 1911
Provenance[...]; 1911 erworben durch Schenkung von Dr. Franz Schoenfeld, Düsseldorf
Inventory numberM 4116
