Albrecht de Vriendt’s Remarkable Bride from Bethlehem
Discover the story of Lea and Albrecht de Vriendt’s representation of Bethlehemite costume—with Elliott Fine Art
Friday, March 17
2PM – 2.30PM CET
Stand SC9, MECC Maastricht
Register to attend
Overview
Albrecht de Vriendt’s Lea, a Bride from Bethlehem is a remarkable and rare work within the context of 19th-century Franco-Flemish Orientalism, depicting a young woman from Bethlehem. Rather than being a generic and exoticized image of a Near Eastern woman, as was so often the case in the work of the artist’s contemporaries, it is the likeness of an actual person met by the artist on his travels to Palestine in 1880. Simultaneously, the painting also represents an important visual document of Bethlehemite costume, presenting the sitter in a highly accurate costume: the malak, the traditional bridal gown for Bethlehemite women, and a shatweh, the headdress bearing the glinting coins of her dowry.
TEFAF Meet the Experts programs celebrate the expertise of our world-renowned exhibitors, spotlighting exceptional objects and the stories they tell across categories and 7,000 years of history.
Location & Access
TEFAF Meet the Experts programs are hosted at exhibitors’ stands at TEFAF Maastricht. Please note that TEFAF Programming is free with a valid ticket to TEFAF Maastricht and seating is limited.
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