Attr. Sir John Lavery Oil On Canvas Zaouia Of Oued El Kebir Blida Algeria 1891

While Lavery is most famously associated with Morocco—where he first travelled in 1891 and eventually bought a winter home in Tangier—his initial exploration of the region extended into neighbouring Algeria. Stylistically very close to Lavery and of the period, the painting bears his signature, is inscribed with the location Blida, and is dated '91. This date perfectly aligns with the exact year of his very first winter journey to North Africa. The scene depicts the Mausoleum of Sidi Ahmed El-Kebir (d.1540) the 16th.Century Andalusian mystic and scholar, revered as the founder of Blida. He was known for his knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, Quranic teaching and the provision of shelter to Andalusian refugees, both Muslim and Jewish, fleeing persecution in Spain. His tomb and a traditional Zaouia stand on the upper heights of Blida, surrounded by the graves of his students.