In English: Orientalist painting theme

• Presentation.

Orientalist painting can be defined as the derivative theme of the Romantic movement (XIX century hence), whose main characteristic is the representation of topics from Asia. 


Often, the painters of this stream deepen figuration of the Middle East, interspersed occasionally (as with David Roberts or Edwin Lord Weeks) areas of Spain, but always moorish, dealing with special sympathy cities of Cordoba and Granada. It will also feature academicism and streams.


It will also be very important figuration of Ancient Egypt; stage of the mythologized history and seen as glorious especially Edward John Poynter.

However, this representative trend, the rise begins in the third decade of the nineteenth century also has some precedents that will be useful to know to understand its subsequent routing.

• The beginnings of Orientalism I: The conquests of Napoleon Bonaparte reference.

 ''Battle of the Pyramids'', by Jean-Antoine Watteau (1798-1799).

The precursors of this taste for East are located further away in time that the two authors cited above. They would be framed in France in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. One of the most important is the frank Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). Because his paintings set in Egypt, it could be considered within the first Orientalists. But this right can be granted fully, because its themes are only interested in appearing '' almost fully historically 'campaigns conqueror and dictator Napoleon Bonaparte in the East. A famous example of this is the ''Battle of the Pyramids'', (1798-1799).

 ''Battle of the Pyramids'', by Louis François Lejeune (1808).

For the same line continues the eponymous ''Battle of the Pyramids'', (1808), by the Frenchman Louis François Lejeune; slightly later painter.

• Los inicios del orientalismo II: Primeros autores que utilizan dicha temática.

-Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (France, 1780-1867):

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (France, 1780-1867): Dominique Ingres can be considered as the original "orientalist", since it introduces the first works set in the Asian world (courtly scenes). However, a fundamental question not allowed to settle as orientalist: this painter is scarce as to works of this theme. It is more inclined to portraits of royalty and the aristocracy, mythological or religious themes. In addition, Ingres is not a romantic. It belongs to the academic. However, it is not so momentous to be romantic, as Gérôme was not and could be considered orientalist. What conditions to Dominique Ingres is precisely its few representations based in the East. However, "Grande Odalisque" (1814), in addition to having passed to the history of art as an innovative work in many ways, can be seen as the first completely orientalist painting, because it symbolizes a young Turkish concubine at the beginning of the second decade of the 19th century, when Orientalism "starts" in 1830 about. This author's work is, without doubt, precursor of subsequent issues.

 ''La Grande Odalisque'', (1814).

''Odalisque with Slave'', (1840).

''The Turkish Bath'', (1862).

-Eugène Delacroix (France, 1798-1863):

Eugène Delacroix, author and purely romantic (unlike Dominique Ingres), with its extensive pictorial theme that covers roughly Greek mythology, biblical episodes, revolutionaries (like '' Liberty Leading the People ''), etc., also perform regularly the world of the Orient in his works.

It is true that his paintings of Orientalist themes are completely synchronous to those of other authors born later, but it is important assimilation of this current by the tremendous variety of issues which normally played. For this away from purely Orientalist artists.

''A moorish couple on ther terrace'' (1832).

''Mounay ben Sultan'' (1832).

''The Women of Algiers (in Their Apartment)'', (1834)

''Jewish Wedding in Morocco'', (1839).

''The Bride of Abydos'' (1837).

• Consolidation of the subject. Africanism as '' light '' split.

-David Roberts (Scotland, 1796-1864):

With David Roberts, and from it and similar contemporaries, a group of artists linked entirely to the 'branch' of romanticism called Orientalism takes hold.
They belong to all parts of Europe, but also come to America (as Edwin Lord Weeks), so we can say that the taste for East is a highly successful current.

''Court of the Lions'' (1835).

''Bazaar in the street leading to the Mosque El Moo-Ristan, Cairo'' (1838).

''Treasury'' (1839).

''Dancing Girls of Cairo'' (1849).

''Edfu, Horus Temple'' (1796-1864).

-Jean-Léon Gérôme (France, 1824-1904):

Linked to the representation of a lot of very disparate themes together (as Delacroix), the famous exponent of academicism, Jean-Léon Gérôme, contribute to the work of the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris paintings that are fully within the world Asia. It will resume the representation of scenes that take starring Napoleon Bonaparte, but unlike Watteau and Lejeune, seeks to demonstrate the magnificence and power of the leader. ''Bonaparte before the Sphinx'' , (1866) is a good example also continues to be set in the Eastern world (Ancient Egypt). Also reap directly the influence of ''The Turkish Bath'', (1862) by Dominique Ingres in his ''After the Bath'', (1881), although the latter work is much more modest gestures and contents.

''Bonaparte before the Sphinx'', (1866).

''The Slave Market'', (1871).

''The Almeh'', (1873).

''After the Bath'', (1881).

''The Grief of the Pasha'', (1882)

. 

-Alberto Pasini (Italy, 1826-1899):

''A Mosque'' (1872).

''Circassian Cavalry Awaiting their Commanding Officer at the Door of a Byzantine Monument; Memory of the Orient'' (1880).

''Mercato in Oriente'' (1881).

''Three Arabs In A Courtyard'' (1887)

''The watermelon merchant'' (1826-1899).

-José Tapiró y Baró (Spain, 1836-1913):

José Tapiró y Baró is an Orientalist author. However, within the exposed marks a noticeable difference to evoke a systematic way the people and places of Spanish Morocco. This is usually also the figuration of the dominant blacks in this country; represented a breed of unusual shape, except perhaps in Jean-Léon Gérôme. Spanish Orientalist painters tend to then display the African colonies, which are possession of this country, distancing Tooth Arabia. This will lead to an aspect of Orientalism: Africanism. In Spain will be the dominant theme.

''Bride Berber'' (1883).

''Beauty of Tanger'' (1891).

''Santón darkawía de Tafilalt'' (1895-1900).

. "Preparations for the wedding of the daughter of the sheriff of Tangier" (1836-1913).

''Moroccan man'', (1836-1913).

-Edward John Poynter (England, 1836-1919):

''Feeding the Sacred Ibis in the Halls of Karnac'' (1836).

''Adoration to Ra'' (1867).

 ''Israel in Egypt'' (1867).

 ''Zenobia Captive'' (1878).

''The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon'' (1884).

-Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (France, 1845-1902):

''Le soir sur les terrasses (Maroc)'' (1879).

''The Favorite of the Emir'' (1879).

''Judith'' (1886).

''The Pink Flamingo'' (1887).

''Afternoon Langour'' (1845-1902).

-Gustav Bauernfeind (Germany, 1848-1904):

''Forecourt of the Ummayad Mosque, Damascus'' (1890).

''The Gate of the Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus'' (1890).

''The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem'' (1904).

''Bazaar in Damascus'' (1848-1904).

''View of Jerusalem'' (1848-1904).

-Edwin Lord Weeks (United States, 1849-1903):

  ''Jumma Musjed, Lahore India'' (1876).

''Interior of the Mosque at Cordova'' (1880-1889).

"Inside the Tower of the Three Princesses" (1881-82).

''Festival At Fatehpur Sikri'' (1885).

''The Nautch'' (1849-1903).

-Étienne Dinet (France, 1861-1929):

''Sous les lauriers roses'', (1907).

''Lavandières dans l'oued, Bou Saada'', (1861-1929).

''Jeunes baigneuses au bord de l'Eau'', (1861-1929).

''Amoureux dans la palmeraie, clair de lune'', (1861-1929).

''Oriental Carrying a Tray'', (1861-1929).

• The end of Orientalism. Birth of new trends cut exotic (to exemplify, Japonisme and primitivism).

However, the decline of Orientalism is inevitable despite not mean it disappears completely. Étienne Dinet is a good example of the last artists interested in this topic current. It works like '' lauriers Sous les roses '' which are placed at the beginning and the XX century (1907, specifically).

At this time, the romance has declined somewhat favoring the success of subsequent trends and the most varied (realism, impressionism, post-impressionism, symbolism and historical vanguards, these other solely belong to the years of '' lauriers Sous les roses '') .

Even the romance fades away does not mean that the taste for foreign vanish with him. In fact, it starts searching, gradually, the representation of Black Africa or from the various regions of the Middle and Far East, such as India, China, Japan, Polynesia, etc. Whole 'departure from view' 'occurs. However, not only is it pretend to reflect these places in the paintings, but also take thereof aesthetic elements, in order to insert them into the same Western art.

So does, for example, Pablo Picasso, using African masks to shape the faces of the ''Les Demoiselles d'Avignon'' (1907). Amedeo Modigliani works equally well with his ''Head of a Woman'' (1910).

This really arises from the impending attraction that felt different artists from the second decade of the nineteenth century by the overseas territories that owned their home countries. Can be equated to a '' second Orientalism '' if you will, for the purest essence of this issue is the desire to capture the alien and foreign.

However, such '' pull '' can not encompass in a single subject, such as Orientalism, nor anchored in an artistic movement. This last reason is fundamental. For example, Vincent Van Gogh, who is an author enrolled in a personal movement (though also closely linked to post-impressionism), mimics in many of his paintings to Japanese art, using as reference ''Sudden Shower Over Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake'', (1857), Utagawa Hiroshige, for' ''Bridge in the rain, after Hiroshige'' (1887). With this, Van Gogh is introduced into the Japonisme, an artistic movement that arises after the trade agreements established between the Netherlands and Japan, which allow opening of China to the West, and trafficking of artistic influences between the two cultures.

A similar current is primitivism, emerged with the discovery of several novel territories caused by colonization during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by France and Britain, mostly. This led to some artists travel to unusual areas, which no longer had anything to do with the Middle East, but that did not stop being exotic. Unlike the mythical eastern areas, many of the cultures that inhabited these new colonies were quite incomprehensible in the eyes of the traveler (regardless the Middle East and Far East). Not trying to companies grouped in cities but in villages and organized into tribes, not monarchies, as in Asia. Thus, normally uncivilized were qualified and even barbarous greater or lesser extent.

Thus, very commonly, the famous Polynesian islands are a good example of this and are embodied with its '' luxury '' native inhabitants. Paul Gauguin precisely channeled their representations to the Archipelago ('' Women of Tahiti '', 1891).

On the other hand, the lush jungles of Henri Rousseau (''Two Monkeys in the Jungle'', 1909), they would always do with Asia, but with Black Africa, showing a new interest in Africa, but how more '' strange '' if you will, because in Orientalism, was that represented Africa dominated by Islam. Rousseau is also a primitive, like Gauguin, and exponent of naïve art par excellence. In his ''exotic 'works' will mix different jungle landscapes, grouping animals of certain endemic species with other regions of entirely opposite, which is understandable considering he had not even traveled outside his native France.

Various currents as shown in these last paragraphs make clear this new hodgepodge of artistic tendencies always tornadas to symbolize the strange, that put an end to some extent, the previous Orientalism.