OIL PAINTING: The Siesta, 1878
Bridgman spent the winter of 1872-3 in Spain and North Africa starting in Tangiers then on to to Algeria. He sampled the local nightlife and spent afternoons exploring the surrounding villages and oases on horseback. Here he found the local colour he was looking for. Crowds in the markets, belly-dancers and everyday life. The Siesta is a fine example of this period in Bridgman's career.