Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Chantrey Bequest
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/albert-goodwin-215" aria-label="More by Albert Goodwin" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Albert Goodwin</a>
Ali Baba and Forty Thieves
Presented by the Trustees of the Chantrey Bequest 1901
adults
Arabian Nights
beach
black
cave
enchantment
ethnicity
forest
group
groups
landscape
literature and fiction
magic and occultism
man
palm
people
religion and belief
sea
seascapes and coasts
tales, legends and traditional
<p>The Arabian Nights or The Thousand and One Nights is a loose collection of stories written in Arabic, which were known in Europe by the early-eighteenth century. Their magic and adventure captivated the Western imagination and greatly contributed to the vogue for 'oriental' literature and images into the nineteenth century. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is generally regarded as one of these tales. Here, in an enchanted landscape, Goodwin shows the moment when Ali Baba observes the thieves entering a cave, which they have opened by pronouncing the words 'Open, Sesame!'.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
10 December 2001 – 27 April 2003
2003-04-27
10 December 2001 – 27 April 2003
2003-04-27
2001-12-10
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2001-12-10
British Artists and the Near East
Collection based display
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
support: 1075 × 1420 mm
frame: 1403 × 1740 × 140 mm
Presented by the Trustees of the <a href="/search?gid=999999977" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Chantrey Bequest</a> 1901
<p>The Arabian Nights or The Thousand  and One Nights is a loose collection  of stories written in Arabic, which were known in Europe by the early-eighteenth century. Their magic and adventure captivated the Western imagination  and greatly contributed to the vogue  for 'oriental' literature and images into  the nineteenth century.
</p><p>
</p><p>
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is  generally regarded as one of these  tales. Here, in an enchanted <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/landscape" title="Glossary definition for 'Landscape'"><span>landscape</span></a>, Goodwin shows the moment when  Ali Baba observes the thieves entering  a cave, which they have opened by pronouncing the words 'Open, Sesame!'.
</p><p>
</p>
Display caption
2004-09-08T00:00:00
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DISPLAY_CAPTION
adults Arabian Nights beach black cave enchantment ethnicity forest group groups landscape literature and fiction magic and occultism man palm people religion and belief sea seascapes and coasts tales, legends and traditional