Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

THE ARAB

Date

1886

Materials

PAPER

No. Pieces

1

Length

61.0

Width

45.7

Description

DEPICTS MAN IN ARABIC REGALIA, CARRYING WEAPON, ON HORSEBACK. "?? SCHEYE?" SIGNATURE IN LOWER LEFT. MOUNTED BEHIND WHITE MATTE. TITLE: THE ARAB. SOME DAMAGE EVIDENT, SEE CONSERVATION REPORT. UNFRAMED.

Subjects

ART

Historical Association

FINE ARTS

History

THE ARAB, 18TH CENTURY ENGRAVING ON STEEL. "A GIFT OF SIR ALEXANDER GALT 1886". FOR INFORMATION ON CONSTRUCTION OF WILLIAM STAFFORD’S RANCH HOUSE, COLLECTED VIA AN INTERVIEW WITH STAFFORD GRANDSON MR. CAM PEAT, PLEASE SEE THE PERMANENT FILES OF P19693787000 OR P19694000000. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS. SHE INTERVIEWED CAMPBELL PEAT (SON OF NORMAN BONNER AND ANNIE STAFFORD PEAT, AND RETIRED LOCAL REAL ESTATE BROKER, FARMER, AND SUSTAINABLE HOME-BUILDER), WHO DONATED THIS PRINT AND P19738514000 TO THE GALT MUSEUM IN HIS MOTHER'S NAME. PEAT SAID: “I GREW UP WITH THESE PICTURES. THEY ARE AS FAMILIAR TO ME AS MY WRIST WATCH… THEY WERE IN OUR HOUSE AT 422 – 12TH STREET SOUTH WHICH IS THE SITE OF STAFFORD PLACE… AND THE HOUSE WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY GRANDMOTHER [JANE] STAFFORD AND IT WAS HER THIRD HOUSE AFTER SHE MOVED UP FROM THE RANCH AFTER THE FLOOD… MY MOTHER AND FATHER TOOK THAT HOUSE OVER, BOUGHT IT FROM [JANE STAFFORD’S] ESTATE, AND I GREW UP IN THERE. I WAS 4 OR 5 YEARS OLD WHEN WE MOVED IN… IT WAS A TWO STOREY HOUSE WITH A STAIRWELL. THIS [P19738514000] WAS ON ONE SIDE OF THE STAIRWELL AND THE HORSE [P19738547000] WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE… THEY WERE GRANDMOTHER’S PICTURES… THIS ONE WAS OBVIOUSLY AN ARAB SHEIK. WE USED TO CALL HIM LAWRENCE OF ARABIA… I DON’T KNOW THE STORY ON HIM BUT HE WAS THERE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME… I SUSPECT THESE TWO WERE GIFTS GIVEN TO MY GRANDMOTHER OVER THE YEARS… MY GRANDMOTHER RECEIVED MANY, MANY GIFTS FROM EARLY LETHBRIDGE RESIDENTS, [INCLUDING] PRESBYTERIAN MC KILLOP, AND MAYOR MAGRATH, BOLTON MAGRATH, ETC., IT GOES ON… I’M PRETTY SURE [THESE PRINTS] WERE GIFTS BECAUSE THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE SOMETHING MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD BUY… THE NOTE [PRESENT IN THE DONATION PAPERWORK, THAT DESCRIBES THE PRINTS AS GIFTS FROM SIR ALEXANDER GALT] - I’M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT. I DON’T THINK I WOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT [AT THE TIME OF DONATION] BECAUSE I’VE CORRECTED THE NOTE [TODAY]... THE PICTURES WERE [BROUGHT] HERE WHEN WE CAME OUT TO THIS HOUSE [611 28TH ST B SOUTH] IN ’58 AND THE PICTURES SAT DOWN IN THE BASEMENT UNTIL I GOT AROUND TO RENOVATING IT AND THAT’S WHEN I SENT THEM DOWN TO THE GALT MUSEUM.” INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARTIST OF THIS PRINT, ADOLF SCHREYER (1828 - 1899), WAS FOUND ON THE WEBSITES OF MUSEUM SYNDICATE AND BONHAMS AUCTION HOUSE. SCHREYER WAS A GERMAN PAINTER, KNOWN PRIMARILY FOR HIS ORIENTALIST SCENES OF HORSES AND BATTLES ON EASTERN FRONTS. HE TRAVELLED THROUGH TURKEY, SYRIA, EGYPT, AND ALGERIA, AND ACCOMPANIED THE REGIMENT OF THE GERMAN PRINCE OF THURN AND TAXIS AS AN ARTIST/REPORTER DURING THE CRIMEAN WAR. SCHREYER ATTEMPTED TO IMMERSE HIMSELF IN THE CULTURES MOST OFTEN DEPICTED IN HIS PAINTINGS, LEARNING SEVERAL ARAB DIALECTS AND RIDING WITH BEDOUIN HORSEMEN. HIS PAINTINGS ARE HELD IN NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL COLLECTIONS. FOR HARDCOPIES OF BOTH THE INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND ONLINE SOURCE MATERIAL, SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P19738547000

Acquisition Date

1966-07

Collection

Museum

Less detail