By: Amber Mitchell

The 19th century brought with it an explosion of Orientalist art and problematic depictions of Arabs and the Middle East, particularly through the work of French painters during this time. These artists depicted Arabs as exotic and oftentimes sexualized them, playing into the belly dancer/harem girl stereotype that perpetuated art focusing on Arabs. Women presented in a lot of these artworks were depicted in their private quarters, positioned as objects of the male gaze – they weren’t supposed to be seen in this space, but the fact that they are presents them as sexually available for male pleasure.  

Eugène Delacroix, a Romantic artist who used a lot of color in his work, frequently presented Arab individuals in his paintings and displayed these “exotic” scenes. His travels, to Algeria, Spain, and Morocco, gave him inspiration, and he became enamored with the things he saw that they began to feature in varying elements of his paintings. One of his widely discussed pieces, Women of Algiers in Their Apartment, highlights three young women lounging together in their private room.

Eugene Delacroix, Women of Algiers in Their Apartment. 1834. Oil on canvas. Taken from Jaber Stiffler, Matthew. “Orientalism and the Legacy of Imperialism.” University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 20 September 2018. Lecture.

The ways in which these women are being displayed in a room that would normally just be for them and of which no men were allowed access contributes to this idea of the “male gaze” and the fantasy of “unveiling” Arab women to see them in ways that they are not normally seen (without hijab, in their intimate quarters, etc…). Ultimately, this contributes to Orientalist stereotypes of Arabs as either mystical and exotic or dangerous and foreign.

Another artist whose work contributed to the Orientalist ideas that Edward Said discusses in his work was Jean-Léon Gérôme. His piece, The Snake Charmer, presents a naked snake charmer in a beautifully tiled blue room performing in front of a group of several men who are slumped against the back of the wall. The beautiful tiles of the room contribute to the idea that Arab culture and the Arab world is something mysterious and magical, along with the woman who is charming the large snake. In addition, we again see the male gaze at work as the focus of the painting is on the charmer’s naked body, expressing the idea that the Arab world is this exotic place where women are sexually available. The haze present in the painting along with the music played from the flutist work to further create a sense of a space that is mystical and exotic.

Gérôme, Jean-Léon. The Snake Charmer. 1879. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.

All together, 19th century artworks such as these create a distinction that separates the “East” from the “West,” and constructs Arabs and the Arab World as a place that is mysterious and exotic. These works also contribute to the male gaze and the fantasy of “unveiling Arab women” and viewing them in intimate positions that they would not usually be viewed. As a result, the Arab world is seen as backwards, foreign, and inherently different from the West, while the West is perceived as normal, thus working to justify unequal treatment and oppression of Arab individuals.

Huyghe, René. “Eugène Delacroix.” Encyclopedia Brittanica, Brittanica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugene-Delacroix.

Jaber Stiffler, Matthew. “Orientalism and the Legacy of Imperialism.” University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. 20 September 2018. Lecture.

Johnson, Jones. “Jean-Léon Gérôme: orientalist fantasy among the impressionists.” The Guardian. 3 July 2012. Web.

“Veils, Harems, and Belly Dancers.” Reclaiming Identity: Arab American Stereotypes, Arab American National Museum, http://arabstereotypes.org/why-stereotypes/what-orientalism/veils-harems-belly-dancers.