A religious portrait in pen and ink wash of the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
It is not dated but bears the watermark "J. Whatman 1823".
The thick art paper is blind stamped "Bristol Paper" on the bottom left corner.
The leaf measures 35,5 x 25,7cm
Although not signed I presume this portrait to have been done by German-South African artist Otto Landsberg (1803-1905) for the following reasons:
The German form of the name Elijah is used by the artist to describe the portrait.
Bristol Paper is known to have also been used by other famous South African artists of the nineteenth century like Thomas Baines and Thomas Bowler.
Apart from an abundance of South African scenes Landsberg also produced numerous religious paintings.
The portrait comes from the collection of the late Robin Fryde, who was the owner of Thorolds Africana and who dealt exclusively in Africana Books and Pictures. The most prominent, and perhaps the only, South African artist of the nineteenth century who painted religious themes was Otto Landsberg.
- Overall Condition: Very Good
- Size: 35,5 x 25,7cm
