Eugène Fromentin - At the Well - Walters 37100

During French rule in Algeria, which lasted from 1830 to 1962, North Africa played a key role in French life, serving as a training ground for its army and attracting writers and artists. Fromentin, an influential writer and painter, first visited Algeria in 1846 and returned the following year. In 1852-1853, he and his bride took their honeymoon in Algeria, spending two months in the oasis of El Aghouat. As a result of these experiences, Fromentin wrote two books- A Summer in the Sahara (1857) and A Year in the Sahel (1858)- that stimulated widespread interest in the region. In the rendering of the atmosphere, his North African views recall the landscapes of Camille Corot.