Jean-Léon Gérôme

John Beard Jackson, Pittsburgh (1845-1908, 'one of the best known men of Pittsburgh', served in many roles including: President of the Fidelity Title and Trust Company, former President of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and the State Bankers' Association. He dedicated his life to making Pittsburgh greater through his service and philanthropy); thence by descent to the present owner

This newly discovered, evocative work, painted after 1883, captures the calm of evening in a village on the Nile, likely on the outskirts of Cairo. The scene appears to be set either in July or August, when the river rises, or in October or November, when it begins to recede, judging by the flood level on the Nile plain. With great mastery and a director's eye for narrative, Gérôme evokes the utter stillness and loneliness of the desert air. As the harsh heat of the day has subsided, and the cool evening sets in, a troop of camels and their driver, their hard day’s work done, drink from the pooled water.