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Caleb Arnold Slade“North African Man, c. 1916-21” by Caleb Arnold Slade, American Portrait Oil1916-21
1916-21
$9,500
£7,254.02
€8,258.96
CA$13,339.50
A$14,582.68
CHF 7,714.90
MX$174,505.26
NOK 98,160.98
SEK 89,856.45
DKK 61,689.33
About the Item
“North African Man, c. 1916-21” by Caleb Arnold Slade (American, 1882-1961)
Inspired by Slade’s travels in Algeria and Tunisia, this remarkable portrait depicts a young man standing with composed dignity, dressed in a pale, voluminous cloak. The subject meets the viewer’s gaze directly, his calm expression exuding a quiet strength. The background, composed of deep, textured shades of crimson and umber, forms a striking contrast to the luminous garment, heightening the subject’s physical presence and emotional gravity.
Slade, known for his respectful and humanizing representations of non-Western sitters, treats this figure as an individual with aristocratic poise and agency. The pose is elegant yet informal: the man’s right hand rests on his hip, his left arm relaxed beneath the folds of his garment. There is no ornamentation, no clutter of props or scenery - only the subject, the painter, and the viewer.
The sitter’s clothing and headwear - a fez or soft cap - suggest a regional identity grounded in southern Algeria, specifically around Biskra, where Slade painted extensively. The figure’s darker complexion and traditional attire indicate he may belong to the Haratin, an Afro-Berber community historically present in oasis towns at the edge of the Sahara.
Technically, the painting showcases Slade’s skillful balance of form, color, and texture. The garment is treated with a near-impressionistic lightness of brush, its folds dissolving into radiant washes of cream and gold. Meanwhile, the subject’s skin is rendered with realistic modeling and soft highlights, evoking the tactile humanity at the core of Slade’s work. The richly striated background - neither strictly abstract nor representational - serves to both isolate and elevate the figure.
This work is oil on canvas and is signed in the lower right. It is housed in a beautiful, custom wood frame.
Size:
39.5 inches tall by 32 inches wide (painting)
47.5 inches tall by 40.25 inches wide by 1.5 inches deep (frame)
Provenance:
Private Collection;
By descent to a Private Collection, Ontario;
International Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, October 25, 2018, lot 226;
Private Collection, Vancouver
About the artist:
Born in Acushnet, Massachusetts, C. Arnold Slade was active around Truro. He studied in New York with Frank Vincent DuMond and in Paris with Jean-Paul Laurens. The artist lived in Paris intermittently for several years.
Slade was associated with John Singer Sargent’s circle, and he was among the famed artists, whose patron was Isabella Stewart Gardner. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston owns several of Slade’s paintings, landscape and figurative works set in Venice, Etaples, and Tunisia. These works were either purchased by Mrs. Gardner or given to her by the artist.
Slade was also known as a portraitist, and he painted portraits of John Singer Sargent, the Honorable Charles A. Dawes, and Senator Borah, to mention a few.
Condition: Very good overall antique condition. Professionally cleaned. Unlined. Surface craquelure commensurate with age. Faint stretcher bar impressions. Minor fine inpainting to address some areas of craquelure. Canvas slightly slack. Custom frame with typical wear from handling. It is ready to be displayed and enjoyed!
All photographs are taken in a well-lit environment using studio lights (set to a cooler temperature) to reveal as much detail as possible. Colors can vary slightly depending on the temperature and strength of your lighting.
- Creator:Caleb Arnold Slade (1882 - 1961, American)
- Creation Year:1916-21
- Dimensions:Height: 47.5 in (120.65 cm)Width: 40.25 in (102.24 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Very good overall antique condition. Professionally cleaned. Unlined. Surface craquelure commensurate with age. Faint stretcher bar impressions. Minor fine inpainting to address some areas of craquelure. Canvas slightly slack.
- Gallery Location:Yardley, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2911217260802
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