According to Julia Tugwell, a curator at the British Museum, the genre known as Orientalism “refers to the representation of the East in Western art which often blurred the line between fantasy and reality.”[1] Orientalist art and literature flourished in 19th century Europe, especially in Britain and France, Europe’s most powerful colonial powers. European artists, authors, and scholars represented the East using recurring tropes and symbols in ways that profoundly influenced western audiences’ attitudes towards non-European people and societies. Since the publication of Edward Said’s groundbreaking 1978 book, Orientalism, we now recognize that, intentionally or unintentionally, Orientalist scholars and artists served to legitimize and justify European imperialism in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
In this module, you will analyze 19th century European representations of the “Orient” to think about the cultural and intellectual side of European colonialism. Many scholars believe that art and knowledge production have been at least as powerful as armies and diplomacy in maintaining Western hegemony since the 19th century.
Step 1: Watch this very short video from al-Jazeera English[2] (2:30 minutes), which provides an introduction to the concept of Orientalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYrAqrpshw
Read this short online article about Orientalism in European art:
As you watch the video and read the article, try to note the following:
- Why did Orientalism emerge as a popular trend in 19th century European art and literature?
- What were the most common themes and tropes depicted in 19th century Orientalist art and literature? What specific roles did they serve?
Step 2: Using what you have learned about Orientalism, read the attached excerpts from Lord Cromer’s Modern Egypt (1908) and look at the four paintings included below.
(Lord Cromer was an elite British colonial officer who was sent to Egypt in 1879 to manage the country’s finances, and governed Egypt for almost 25 years after the beginning of British occupation in 1883. After he was forced into retirement for his violent mishandling of a popular revolt in 1907, he returned to Britain and wrote a book called Modern Egypt. The book details what Cromer perceives to be the essential differences between Europeans and Egyptians. It is a famous example of the Orientalist mentality and the “civilizing mission.”)
- What common motifs, symbols, figures, or activities do these paintings share? How does the artist signal to his audience that his painting depicts “the Orient”?
- How does Cromer characterize Egyptians in comparison with Europeans? How would you describe his tone and use of imagery?
Step 3: Write a reflection analyzing Lord Cromer and the Orientalist paintings. You must refer to the al-Jazeera video and short article in your answer. Discuss the following:
- Do the Orientalist paintings reinforce or contradict ideas, motifs, or tropes found in Lord Cromer’s Modern Egypt? Give specific examples from the paintings and Cromer reading to make your point.
- Imagine that you are a 19th century European reading Lord Cromer’s writings and viewing these paintings in a museum. You have never visited the “Orient” yourself. What impressions about the Middle East would you come away with based on these representations?
- What kinds of power dynamics underlie these representations?
- Do you think that Cromer’s writings could have helped build support for British colonialism in Egypt? Why or why not?
- Do you think that the Orientalist paintings could have helped build support for European colonialism in general? Why or why not?
Grading rubric (out of 3 points):
3 points: make an effort to discuss all parts of the prompt. 3-point answers primarily give your analysis of the power dynamics embodied within Lord Cromer’s writing and the Orientalist paintings, rather than just describing them. 3-point answers show that you have engaged with the art in the context of the short article and video on Orientalism.
2 points: Makes an effort to discuss most parts of the prompt, but not all. Some strong analysis mixed with unnecessary description, or strong analysis that is significantly too short will also receive 2 points.
1 point: Discusses few parts of the prompt and/or mostly description. Little of your own analysis.
0 points: Plagiarism (passing off someone else’s words or ideas without proper citation.)
See next pages for paintings! You can google any of the paintings using the title and artist’s name to see a larger version on your computer.
Giacomo Mantegazza (Italian), An Evening at the Seraglio, late 19th century
Jean-Leon Gerome (French), The Snake Charmer, 1879
Gustav Bauernfeind (German), Procession in Jaffa, 1890.
Giulio Rosati (Italian), A Successful Raid, c. 1900
[1] https://blog.britishmuseum.org/an-introduction-to-orientalist-painting/
[2] Al-Jazeera English is funded by the government of Qatar, so it is not an entirely non-governmental outlet. Nevertheless, it is generally regarded as having high journalistic standards.
What Students Are Saying About Us
.......... Customer ID: 12*** | Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Honestly, I was afraid to send my paper to you, but you proved you are a trustworthy service. My essay was done in less than a day, and I received a brilliant piece. I didn’t even believe it was my essay at first 🙂 Great job, thank you!"
.......... Customer ID: 11***| Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This company is the best there is. They saved me so many times, I cannot even keep count. Now I recommend it to all my friends, and none of them have complained about it. The writers here are excellent."
"Order a custom Paper on Similar Assignment at essayfount.com! No Plagiarism! Enjoy 20% Discount!"
