What is Orientalism?

Orientalist in art depicts arab ways of life, customs, architecture, artefacts, harem life and interiors, the bazars, street merchants and traders.  Orientalist paintings are distinctive by the use of strong light, bold and vivid colours by painter- travellers during 1830-1930 to Egypt, Turkey, Algiers, Morocco, Palestine and Syria capturing its mood.

Generations of artists have been attracted by the lure of the East, executing some of the most celebrated works, such as Gerome, Fabio Fabbi, Ludwig Deutsch, Delacroix, David Roberts, Charles Robertson, Dinet, Rudolf Ernst, Edwin Long Weeks, Frederick Goodall to name but a few.  

Here is one of my favourite Orientalist catalogues:

TAJAN AUCTION CATALOGUE

PARIS, 7 DECEMBER 2006

THIS CATALOGUE CONTAINS 120 PAGES

SOME ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THIS FRENCH AUCTION CATALOGUE:

lot 253 Gaston Durel         lot 291 Michelan                lot 289 Alfred Pirkhert

lot 301 Henry Pontoy

Orientalist seller/buyer