Ink Drawing By The Orientalist Paul Cirou (1869–1961)

Water Carrier / Pitcher from Aït Alich. / 1921". 

Paul Cirou (1869–1951) was a French Orientalist painter. A student at the École des Beaux-Arts in Dijon and the Académie Julian in Paris, he began his career painting Normandy landscapes and portraits. From 1907 to 1936, for health reasons, he settled in Algeria, where he traveled throughout the country (Kabylie, Tlemcen, Mascara). Captivated by the light and local scenes, he became a major figure in the Orientalist movement of his time. Upon his return to France, he settled in Paris in his studio at 37 rue de la Tombe-Issoire (mentioned on the back of your artwork), where he taught painting. 
This is a preparatory study or an original drawing in black ink on kraft/yellowed paper, mounted on a panel with annotations on the back. Executed in black ink with broad, energetic hatching and bold areas of solid color that create a striking contrast of light and shadow (a technique characteristic of preparatory sketches for engravings, illustrations, or tapestries). Inscriptions in blue pencil ("e 134", "14"), likely indicating a stay at a gallery, an auction, or an official exhibition. The work dates from 1921, a period during which Paul Cirou traveled extensively throughout Kabylie. The figure of the Kabyle water carrier is a central and emblematic theme in his work: in fact, the French government purchased a major painting from him titled Les porteuses d’eau kabyles (now in public collections).
Framed