Scenes of life in the East in painting and art

Hundreds of masterpieces with comments and detailed descriptions.

The genre of Orientalism in painting appeared in the XIX century and has a number of characteristic features that are the visualization of meanings and stereotypes associated with the East:

1. Exotic surroundings – much attention is paid to interior details (Persian carpet, mandalas, blinds, etc.), which contrast favorably with the images of European heroes.

3. Ethnographic accuracy in depicting the daily life of Eastern peoples.

4. The grandeur of the local landscapes with high mountains and winding valleys, deserts and oases, as well as picturesque views of cities and settlements.

5. The emotional coloring is bright and intense, but unexpected, sometimes absurd, with a rush of mysticism and mystery.

6. Bright color. Oriental paints – red, golden, turquoise, bright blue – confidently replace the classic pastel with a more saturated color spectrum.

7. Sexuality and eroticism – in the canvases there are images with uninhibited bodies of women and forbidden love.

8. Naive admiration for nobility and romantic love for Eastern culture and its inhabitants.

Artists such as Jean-Leon Jerome, William Turner, Frederick Lewis, Eugene Delacroix, Orientalism created incredible and exciting works describing the beauty and secrets of the East.

see also: Oriental architecture