Harems and Orientalism 19th century art

In looking at paintings of the North Africa done by Delacroix and many other romantic painters during this time, I have learned that Europeans grew fascinated with other cultures and the differentiation between cultures, or Orientalism, was born. By definition “the term Orientalism is reserved in certain sectors for describing a distorted way to encounter phenomena pertaining to other cultures or civilizations, or to peoples, still subjugated or only recently liberated, located for the most part to the east of Europe” (Chuaqui, 2002). This means that the distorted representation of eastern culture, particularly in scenes of harems in 19^th century art, is considered Orientalism. To understand better, take a look at this painting of the life in a harem by Gustave Boulanger.

Gustave Boulanger. The Harem. N.D.

The bright colors of the painting bring an exciting and playful exuberance to the environment depicted of this harem. The aesthetic is pleasing to the viewer, probably because the difference of this culture to Europeans was appealing. The viewer notices the group of people sitting on the ground casually and contentedly. One woman is lounging and she is talking with the other woman who is leaning toward her giving her attention. The two women behind them are also engaging with one another and appear close and friendly. The two men sitting on the ground have serious looks on their faces and they are not engaged with each other, showing the contrast between the relational and social women and the more independent men. The child to the right is running and playing with a doll which adds a youthful spirit. The intrigue from a Western perspective was most likely due to the wealth and the “differentness” from Western life in this painting. For one, the large stone and arched architecture was very different from the homes in Europe and they are exaggerated in this painting by the size compared to the people and the lightness which attracts the eye. Also the lush landscape is filled with trees and vines that are not seen in Europe. The women are wearing beautifully colorful and silky clothes unlike anything Westerners wore and their arms and feet are exposed and their hair is down creating a sensual appeal. By making the women appear more sensual and available to the men it creates a cultural otherness that is different from Western culture. To some this was fascinating and appealing and to others it was appalling and made them feel their culture was more civilized and therefore superior.

No matter how Westerners viewed the scenes from life in North Africa the fact does not change that this was not an accurate representation of a harem in the 19^th century. The harem is conveyed as being vibrant and playful, wild, luxurious, and sensual. In reality, Muslim women were extremely temperate and they wore full garments that covered their bodies and their hair. Ultimately, the depiction of this culture is of course going to be different from Western culture, because it is, and I don’t believe that that is bad. However, the depictions are distorted for the fantasy and intrigue of the viewer which can be interpreted as being innocently romanticized or purposely creating an “otherness” to be judged.

 

 

1.       Chuaqui, Ruben, and Marc Brudzinski. "Orientalism, Anti-orientalism, Relativism." Napantla: Views Fromt the South 3.2 (2002): n. pag. Duke University Press. Web.