The Sultan and his camp by the enchanted lake

Rather out of place among the continental paintings in this room, Goodwin’s small panel is hung here because it is one of the only orientalist British paintings in the collection. Goodwin was a widely travelled artist who knew the Middle East at first hand. His works are mainly evocations of place, but he also painted biblical and literary subjects, including scenes from the Arabian Nights. Intriguingly, the artist’s diaries mention seeing a painting The enchanted lake in Sydney in 1917.