499900 Leaving the Oasis, 1880s (oil on wood panel) by Gerome, Jean Leon (1824-1904); 67.31x98.43 (framed) 50x81.2 (unframed) cm; Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: Leaving the Oasis repeats several themes in G矇r繫me\'s art - camel caravans, oases, expansive desert landscapes. As an academic realist, G矇r繫me painted everyday scenes in a meticulous and polished style. Here he carefully rendered the unique forms of the figures\' dress and the camels\' physical features, as well as the colours of the changing sky and the violet shadows cast by the airborne dogs and the legs of the camels. Although the picture\'s smoothness and detail suggest a photographic image, G矇r繫me actually composed his paintings in the studio, basing them on memories and sketches from his visits to the Near East. Following his first trip to Egypt in 1856, he developed into a major figure among 19th-century "Orientalists"-artists who specialized in representing Near Eastern life, culture, and landscapes.); Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Noah L. Butkin; French, out of copyright.