Travelling Artists Sketching An Arab Encampment, Cairo

The artwork in Today's Daily Jigsaw Puzzle is titled "Travelling Artists Sketching An Arab Encampment, Cairo" ( 1863), and the artist is Émile Vernet-Lecomte ♥

Émile Vernet-Lecomte (1821–1900) was a French painter renowned for his Orientalist compositions and refined portraits. Born Charles Émile Hippolyte Lecomte in Paris, he hailed from a distinguished lineage of artists: his father, Hippolyte Lecomte, was a military painter; his maternal grandfather, Carle Vernet, and his uncle, Horace Vernet, were also esteemed painters. Émile studied under Horace Vernet and Léon Cogniet, inheriting a blend of classical technique and dramatic flair.

At 22, he debuted at the Paris Salon in 1843, earning a bronze medal. Initially signing his works as "Émile Lecomte," he later adopted the name "Vernet-Lecomte" to honor both familial lines. By 1847, he showcased his first Orientalist pieces, including Tête de Syrien and Femme Syrienne. His travels to Egypt and Algeria in the 1860s infused his art with authentic details of Middle Eastern and North African life. 

Notable works, such as Femme fellah portant son enfant (1864) and Jeune fille maronite (1867), exemplify his focus on individual character and ethnographic precision. Beyond Orientalism, he painted historical scenes, such as depictions of the Crimean War and the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil conflict. He also received state commissions for murals in Parisian landmarks like the Church of Saint-Louis-en-l'Île and the Palais de Justice. Vernet-Lecomte remained active in the art world until he died in Paris in 1900.

You can find more information on Émile Vernet-Lecomte here ♥