When thinking about Orientalism, the first thing that comes to mind is how artists, writers, and designers from the West often try to recreate the eastern aesthetic the best they know how either from experience and memory or from stories and imagination. I was fortunate enough to see this come to life during a site visit to the famous Leighton House. This is where artist Frederic Leighton built one of the most exquisite orientalist interiors that often inspired his paintings and sculptures. There was one room in particular that I felt reflected orientalism at its finest, and that was the Arab Hall.The Arab Hall was filled with beautiful tiles that were brought over from many different eastern countries. These tiles were not perfect, considering that some were misplaced or had scriptures on them that didn’t quite line up with their true meaning, but overall they were put in place to inspire. It was said that Leighton used his home as a form of entertainment for his guests. He would guide them through his many intricately designed rooms and tell them of all the stories that he had acquired from traveling around Algeria, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Syria. He would describe how each object, piece of art, or colored wall would help inspire his art.
One piece in particular that I believe this orientalist perspective inspired, was Light of the Harem painted by Leighton in 1880. Both the headdress on the woman and the robe on the young girl include patterns that closely match the Arab Hall. These patterns are not commonly seen in England or in most other British art pieces. This not only proves that Leighton had seen these patterns displayed in the East, but that he studied them within his own home in order to create patterns that so closely resemble them. He may not have paid attention to the true identity of the East, but he captured the beauty he saw there.
Ellie,
ReplyDeleteI think the closing line of your post was beautifully put. I like how you discussed how Leighton used Orientalism, but still slightly got some parts wrong, like the tiles being misplaced or certain Arabic phrases being in the wrong order. This blends well with our class discussion about how Orientalism was how the East viewed the West. Orientalism in the Victorian Era was not a perfect representation of the Middle East, and the fact that Leighton’s Victorian home has flaws mirrors that idea well. I also enjoyed the painting of Leighton’s that you added to your post, Light of the Harem. I think that painting also represents Victorian Orientalism well in the woman’s headdress and style, as well as the background, since both are a combination of a traditional Victorian theme and an Orientalism theme. Thanks for sharing your ideas.