01 Paintings by the Orientalist Artists in the Nineteenth-Century, with footnotes, 27

Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1847 - 1928, AMERICAN

WOMEN OF BLIDAH ON THE DAY OF THE PROPHET, c. 1900

Oil on canvas

66 by 54.5cm., 26 by 21½in.

Private collection

The Day of the Prophet, known as Mawlid, is celebrated on either the twelfth or seventeenth day of Rabia al Awal, the third month of the Muslim calendar, roughly coinciding with January. Mawlid also provided a framework for female involvement. Women often participated in the celebrations outside the mosque rituals. The present work shows a congregation of women dressed in their ritual drapery. It was painted a year after Bridgman's larger work of the same subject, depicting Algerian women burning candles in the cemetry of Oued El-Kebir outside Blidah, in Algeria. More on The Day of the Prophet

Blidah , today Blida, is the name of a city in Algeria. It is the capital of the province of the same name and is also called Ville des Roses ("City of Roses").


The city is located about 40 km south of the Algerian capital Algiers in a valley of Tellatlas. The coast of the Mediterranean is about 30 km away. In 1838 , Blidah was captured by French troops who set up a garrison there. In 1825 and 1867 , the city was destroyed by earthquakes. Today there is a university ( Université Saad Dahlab Blida ). More on Blidah

Please visit my other blogs: Art Collector, Mythology, Marine Art, and The Canals of Venice

Images are copyright of their respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright

I don't own any of these images - credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your images without your permission, please tell me.

I do not sell art, art prints, framed posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting expenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please share with friends and family.

Thank you for visiting my blog and also for liking its posts and pages.