![Ludwig Deutsch - Morning Prayers [1902]](http://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5553/31243107022_f701dddae8_b.jpg)
Morning Prayers is a powerful and noble evocation of the rites and religion of the Muslim world. Two men are absorbed in prayerful contemplation, facing towards the mosque's mihrab indicating the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. The main figure has discarded his cloak and shoes to commence the raka'ah, or prayer sequence. The artist's respect for the unfolding scene is matched by his rigorous and painstakingly refined technique.
Deutsch (Austrian, 1855 - 1935) trained at the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna but settled in Paris in 1878, where he honed his highly academic style. He first travelled to Egypt in 1883, from which time on Orientalist subjects dominated his oeuvre, fuelled by demand from avid collectors. Deutsch's Egyptian subjects met with huge critical acclaim: in 1900 he was awarded a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle, and later the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur.
[Sotheby’s, London - Oil on panel, 65 x 51.5cm]