Rudolf Ernst (Austrian, 1854-1932) An afternoon show Oil on panel 32 x 24 inches (81.3 x 61.0 cm) Signed and inscribed lower right: R. Ernst Paris Property from a Private Florida Collection PROVENANCE: Private collection, United States; Christie's, New York, October 30, 2002, lot 85; Private collection; Sotheby's, London, May 18, 2011, lot 61; Acquired from the above. Austrian-born painter Rudolf Ernst was introduced to Orientalist work in the Salons of Paris. After moving to France from his native Vienna in 1876, Ernst made two trips, first to Spain and North Africa in 1885, and later to Constantinople and Cairo in 1890, to immerse himself in scenes he would recreate and exhibit in the Salon for several decades. During his travels, Ernst sketched, took photographs, and acquired other souvenirs that would serve as the basis for the scenes he would fully render, however remixed and reimagined, back in his Paris studio. Following fellow Orientalist artist Jean-Léon Gérôme’s interest in scenes of everyday life, Ernst depicts a bear mimicking its trainer’s raised arms in a street performance, while onlookers are served tea during An afternoon show. The bear show itself was not an invention of Ernst’s; he may well have seen such a spectacle during his travels to Turkey. Yet he made no claims about the strict veracity of his Orientalist imagery. Drawing on disparate and not always site-specific references, Ernst nevertheless creates a seamless vision of the East and displays a mastery of varied textures and forms—from the cluster of props in the foreground, to the figures’ dress, the worn prayer rug, and the Mamluk architecture. Beyond painting, Ernst’s artistic practice extended into ceramics, including tilework inspired by the Islamic art he encountered in the Middle East, a sensibility that is also evident in the present work. HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Private collection, United States; Christie's, New York, October 30, 2002, lot 85; Private collection; Sotheby's, London, May 18, 2011, lot 61; Acquired from the above.

Stable panel. Tiny white spot accretion in lattice.
Under UV: varnish layer fluoresces green. Scattered spots of retouching along left edge, with some inpainting beneath beat trainer and in trainer's hair.
Framed Dimensions 41.75 X 33.5 Inches