Édouard Frédéric Wilhelm Richter

Édouard Frédéric Wilhelm Richter (1844–1913) was a French painter celebrated for his genre and Orientalist works. Born in Paris in 1844 to a German father and Dutch mother, he began his artistic training at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague before continuing his studies at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris under the guidance of Ernest Hébert and Léon Bonnat.

Richter made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1866 and went on to establish a successful career in nineteenth-century France. While he produced a number of portraits, he is best remembered for his evocative Orientalist scenes, which reflect the nineteenth-century European fascination with the cultures and aesthetics of the Middle East and North Africa. His works often combine vivid theatricality with meticulous attention to the textures, colors, and details of exotic interiors, creating paintings that are both dramatic and immersive.

Richter’s art gained significant popularity during his lifetime, earning him a reputation among the leading Orientalist painters of his generation. Today, his works can be found in several collections, including the Musée Baron-Martin in France. He continued painting until his death in Paris in 1913.