Study of a cactus, and trees behind

De Famars Testas is mainly known for his art depicting the Orient. The artist made a journey to Egypt from 1858 to 1860 with the archaeologist and Egyptologist Émile Prisse d'Avennes (1807-1879). The present oil study may have been executed during this sojourn (see lot 90 for another drawing made by de Famars Testas during this journey).