Theodor Ohlsen (1855-1913) - Black Woman From The Island Of Madeira - Charcoal

Portrait of a nude African woman ("Negerin v.d. Insel Madeira")
Fusain on paper, signed upper right
Dimensions: approx. 22 × 40 cm (excluding passe partout)
Condition: minor freckling and a slight lack (see photos)

Superb drawing by German artist Theodor Ohlsen, depicting a nude African woman, treated in the spirit of late 19th-century orientalism and refined eroticism. The nervous, sensitive charcoal highlights the modelling of the body and reflects a realistic quest tinged with exoticism.

Theodor Ohlsen (1855-1912), a German-born painter and draughtsman, specialized in genre scenes, portraits and compositions inspired by exoticism and travel. Although relatively unknown to the general public, he is now being rediscovered by enthusiasts of 19th-century orientalism and erotic art. His works occasionally appear at public sales in Germany and northern Europe.

This charcoal, rare for its subject, illustrates the period's fascination with female models from elsewhere and is in keeping with the European Orientalist tradition.

The drawing will be delivered flat, with its passe partout.