Ignatz Sahula-Dycke (1900–1982) was an American painter, illustrator, and muralist celebrated for his evocative depictions of horses and the American West. Born in Bohemia, then part of Austria-Hungary, he immigrated to the United States as a young boy. He settled in Chicago, where he earned a scholarship to the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and launched his artistic career. His work was regularly exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, where in 1925 he won the prestigious Robert Rice Jenkins Prize for his painting The City of Dreadful Night. Beyond easel painting, he worked as a commercial artist and art director in major cities, including Chicago, Detroit, and Dallas, all while creating western-themed murals and illustrations grounded in historical authenticity. Sahula-Dycke later settled in New Mexico, drawing inspiration from the rugged landscapes and culture of the region to produce a compelling body of work that bridges narrative drama and technical mastery.

Painted in 1928, this rare large-scale composition is a superb example of Ignatz Sahula’s early Orientalist subjects, created shortly after his celebrated Chicago period. Measuring 30 by 36 inches, it captures the fortified walls and domes of an old city bathed in luminous Mediterranean light, framed by a monumental tree and accented by figures in vivid crimson robes. The painting demonstrates Sahula’s remarkable command of color and atmosphere, balancing the rigor of his academic training with a distinctly modern sensibility.