French Oriental
Posted in rugs on 05/04/2009 05:27 pm by admin
French Oriental
jean leon gerome paintings…. why does he always depcit black women washing/bathing white women?
jean leon gerome is a french oriental artist.
he always tends to depict harems or women bathing… they’re always in some sort of bathroom or shower getting clean. often black women (i’m assuming they’re slaves) are bathing them. does this hold any significance? what do his artworks mean??? thanks.
examples:
http://www.oceansbridge.com/paintings/collections/famous-nudes/big/Gerome_Jean_LeonXXAfter_the_Bath.jpg
http://www.picturalissim.com/t/gerome_moorish_bath.jpg
http://i.pbase.com/u12/pillroller23/large/38246998.LegionofHonor010.jpg
First of all, you do have some leeway in arguing what any particular work “means” if this is for a school assignment. That being said, here’s is the explanation I can offer for you.
Jean Leon Gerome was a member of the Academicism movement. Researching more about this movement in general would be a helpful starting point for you. The movement was known for painting historical and classical subjects with strains of Romanticism colors and feeling. So basically it was a blend of Neoclassicism and Romanticism. The Romantic strains really come through in the bathing scenes, because one of the hallmarks of the movement was innocence and purity. You can see the girl in the second picture being bathed with the light falling on her “white” purity. (Although it is wrong to think this, remember people back then would see the white girl as symbolizing purity and the black girl as darkness.)
You have to understand the kind of racism that was taking place at that time. Up until that point, at least in Europe, racism against those with dark skin was not common. Jews were the primary target of racial hatred. However, as Europe’s second wave of colonization began in the late 19th century, their influence spread to West Africa were they encountered what they thought of as uncivilized tribes. In order to justify their sometimes brutal colonization methods, they considered the Africans as inferior to them, as if it was the European destiny to rule over them.
So all of these factors come into play in Gerome’s painting. The black woman is serving the white woman, which the Europeans would have believed was the way things “should” be. Note of course how they present view has contorted the past. The women in the second picture are most likely a depiction of ancient Rome or Greece, where the slaves were not necessarily black. However, Gerome has used the present day bias against black people so that in his mind, the slaves of history were black.
A main point of Academicism was to tell a story about the way things were, so every detail is important. The clothes they are wearing, the background, the way they are positioned.
The third picture won’t load on my computer 
Arabic RnB Oriental Hey Mama French Exclusive
|
|
Def Leppard English Flag Coolie Cup $9.99 Keep your drink cold while rocking out with this coolie… |
|
|
Alex Super Baking set – 18 Piece Metal and Plastic Set $12.49 Measure, mix, prep, and bake some imaginary treats| This 18-piece set features a loaf pan, bear pan, heart pan, mixing bowl, rolling pin, whisk, measuring spoons and cup, pastry wheel, 2 star cookie cutters, 2 heart cookie cutter, and an oven mitt. Bon Appetit|… |
|
|
Set of 2 Heated Stainless Steel Travel Mugs Product Description Keep your favorite beverages hot at all times with this set of 2 stainless heated travel mugs. Plug the detachable cords into any standard 12v car adapter of your car truck or R/V. Durable stainless-steel construction and locking lids ensure a safe trip anywhere. Product Details 12V Heated Travel Mugs – Set of 2 ⢠Capacity: 16 ozs. ⢠Airtight l… |
|
|
Comforter – Crumble Bear $17.99 This is a soft plush comforter from the Once Upon a Time collection, featuring Crumble Bear. This super soft comforter is perfect to hold on to. Crumble is the feature of this comforter, his head and arms are built into the design. It doubles as a… |
|
|
Passion of the Christ: Songs (Original Songs Inspired by the Film) $16.44 … |
|
|
Egyptian Hieroglyphs Made Easy $19.99 Learning and understanding of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic language. The hieroglyphic script was the longest lived and earliest form of the Egyptian language. Its use was limited primarily to religious and monumental inscriptions, whereas a more cursive script called hieratic was preferred for administrative and epistolary purposes. Hieroglyphic Egyptian employs pictures of objects, each with… |
|
|
GE 37771 R40 Heat Lamp, Red, 250-Watt $3.39 250 watt 120 volt R40 Medium Screw (E26) Base Red Heat Lamp Red Incandescent GE Light Bulb… |
|
|
Botanical Interest – Squash Winter Tble King Acorn (Certified Organic) $2.99 Isn’t acorn squash the epitome of a fall vegetable? These glossy ribbed beauties are so attractive, you may want to display them in a basket on your table for awhile before cutting them open for dinner! An All America Winner in 1974, ‘Table King’ is still very popular decades later for its fabulous traits. The orange flesh has marvelous, rich flavor, and the fruit grows on very compact 4′ vines. (… |
|
|
Scarface – Vinyl Wall Decals Murals Stickers Art Graphic – 44H x29W – by üBer Decals $44.99 Better than wallpaper, wall stickers are a perfect way to decorate your room and express yourself. They are a fun, easy and removable decor solution. These stickers are pre-cut and will only take you several minutes to apply on any surface – walls, doors, windows, and more. Each of our designs come with easy instructions to follow. This is an original design from uBer Decals. All other sellers are… |
|
|
Last Night Gus $1.99 … |
