Sand in the brush

"Desert painting painted in constant and sometimes strong winds. Everything had to be done to hold the easel in place at all times. Wind protection made with the help of canvas." This is how Eduard Fuchs recorded his experiences during the creation of this painting in his diary. He is traveling with the impressionist painter Max Slevogt on a 39-day trip to Egypt.

Slevogt always had a special fascination for the country that he only visited once. As if in a creative frenzy, he produced 21 oil paintings and 25 watercolors in this short time! His motifs were not tourist attractions, but rather everyday scenes, such as a resting camel in the shadow of the Simeon Monastery.

Even an approaching sandstorm does not stop Slevogt from painting. The sand of the desert can still be found in the oil paint today. In comparison with his Palatine landscapes, which you will find in the Modernism section opposite, it becomes all the clearer how Slevogt succeeds in capturing the glistening light of the African sun.