by Gary Lee Kvamme (Author)
Of the seventy or so American painters who visited the "Orient" after the Civil War (1861-1865), Frederick Arthur Bridgman stands out for the volume of his work and the number of trips he made. Bridgman particularly distinguished himself in the depiction of daily life in Algeria, which he first visited in 1872.
During his first winter in Algiers, Bridgman began to explore contemporary North African life, for which he later became renowned. From courtyards to barbers, Bridgman noted all parts of this new life. The following winter, Bridgman traveled to Egypt where he busied himself depicting the streets of Cairo. He painted a few of the major Islamic monuments and some landscapes, but his true interest brought him back to contemporary lives of the Egyptians and Algerians.
The present work showcases a fine array of new photographic images of paintings by Frederick Arthur Bridgman utilizing the Kvamme process of digital enhancement.