Dinet was different to most other Orientalist painters, in that he immersed himself totally in his subject matter; he travelled to North Africa on numerous occasions, learning the languages and the culture of the Sahara.
In later life, he converted to Islam and adopted the name Nasreddine Dinet. In his works he attempted to capture the true essence of Bedouin life and avoid the exoticism that characterised the paintings of many of his colleagues.
This was also apparent in the 18in x 2ft 5in (46 x 73cm) canvas, Joueur de flûte. Environs de Laghouat, in the Munich auction. It had an interesting provenance.
In 1900 the legendary Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel purchased the painting from the artist and sold it on to the Russian collector Pyotr Ivanovich Shchukin. Later it came into the collection of a south German family, where it has been for several decades.
It was expected to bring €40,000-60,000 at the June 16 sale. After the initial flurry of bids, two phone bidders remained in the running until the hammer fell at €200,000 (£178,570). The new owner is a Moroccan collector.
