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Your Thoughts about Orientalism
I just received my May issue of Arts and Antiques and was utterly delighted to see an article on Orientalism. It also raised some questions which I like to share with you after a little art history lesson, for those not familiar with Orientalism.
Orientalism is a term used to describe the academic portrayal of Middle Eastern themes. Many European artists would travel to North Africa, Persia, India and the Holy Land in search of exotic imagery, which they in turn would paint either on location or bring home in form of sketches to develop into grand paintings in their studios.
The most popular time for the Orientalist school was in the 19th century and the work ranged from harem images with reclining odalisques, to turbaned men going about their business to landscapes with mosques and temples. Colors were warm and vibrant, handling was often more detailed than loose and most importantly many scenes were painted as if they could belong to the Arabian Nights. In other words, with the exception of landscape paintings, most interior scenes were staged, often playing up to a
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