Orientalism in the Leighton House
Linda Nochlin’s chapter, “The
Imaginary Orient,” in her book The
Politics of Vision (1989) discusses how 19th and 20th century artists interpreted and portrayed the
Middle East in their works. Nochlin points out that these artists leave out
much of the visual truth in their work and instead focus on a portrayal of the
east that reinforces an idea of European superiority.
The house of the nineteenth century
artist, Frederic Leighton, is a historical monument to an era of time that
dealt with the West both admiring Eastern Art for its aesthetic pleasure while
at the same time reinforcing poor assumptions about the people and culture of
the Middle East. A tour with a passionate and incredibly knowledgeable guide at
the Leighton House gives insight into the life of Leighton; he was a
well-traveled man that respected and learned from the styles of other cultures
and eras. Leighton consistently said that he painted in the classical style of Michelangelo;
his prestigious canon and accolades prove that he was a talented individual who
should be respected and is worth studying; however, his oriental room provides
the contemporary viewer an insight into the orientalism of the 19th
and 20th centuries that Nochlin argues should be avoided in the
canon of art.
Leighton’s oriental room is a
beautifully detailed room with a small, peaceful, fountain in the middle. In
Leighton’s day, he used it to entertain visitors in a sublime setting. Where it
remains an awe invoking room to visit, it is important to acknowledge the
absence of any true Middle Eastern cultural significance within the room. It is
simply a sumptuous room meant to impress guests. Where it may not seem like
anything is missing from this room at first glance, through Nochlin’s argument
of the problem of oriental art, it is our duty as contemporary viewers to see
through the veil of orientalism and acknowledge that the Middle Eastern culture
is much more than just sumptuous, decorative, rooms; the Middle East is complex
and beautiful place that should be viewed and admired for much more than just
how artists in the 19th and 20th centuries wanted viewers
to see.

Reference
Linda
Nochlin, “The Imaginary Orient,” The
Politics of Vision 1989
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