The Nubian Story Teller in the Harem, 1875 Frederick Arthur Bridgman (1847-1928)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Frederick Arthur Bridgman also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting The Nubian Story Teller in the Harem is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

We offer free shipping as well as paid express transportation services.

After adding your artwork to the shopping cart, you will be able to check the delivery price using the Estimate Shipping and Tax tool.

The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

“The Nubian Story Teller in the Harem” by Frederick Arthur Bridgman is a kaleidoscope of lush textures, warm tones, and domestic leisure, wrapped in the hazy mystique of 19th-century Orientalism. Painted in 1875, it feels almost like a snapshot - a moment frozen in time where the languid life of a harem is captured in detail so minute you can almost hear the murmur of conversation and the distant tinkle of a lute.

Bridgman’s brushwork here is precise, almost to the point of obsession. The tapestry of rich fabrics, the delicately painted tiles on the floor, the intricate wooden carvings overhead - all of these speak to his fascination with the exotic and the opulent. You can see how the women are draped in flowing silks, lounging in various states of relaxation, while a Nubian storyteller sits at the heart of the composition, commanding attention with an unseen narrative. His darker skin tones, contrasted with the softer, lighter complexions of the women around him, create a visual tension that’s subtle, yet unmistakable.

What strikes me about this scene is Bridgman’s use of light - soft and diffused, it pours in from somewhere unseen, casting delicate shadows that cradle the figures rather than define them. The palette leans heavily into golds, browns, and dusty pastels, further emphasizing the warmth and comfort of the space, while avoiding the harsher contrasts of daylight.

The composition is a rhythmic harmony, with the rectangular room acting as a stage - each figure placed like a note in a symphony. There’s a stillness here, despite the activity - a kind of luxurious idleness that feels almost decadent in its calm. This is the harem not as a place of intrigue or seduction, but as a private, introspective world, where stories and leisure take precedence.