Critical, contemporary approaches to Gérôme's Orientalist, fetishizing paintings, once revered in the 19th century
In the 19th century, the art of French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) offered European audiences an apparently realistic and intimate view of local life in the Middle East, North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. As the 20th-century art world embraced other styles, these same qualities marked Gérôme’s art as antimodern and entirely forgettable. The tide turned in 1978, when Gérôme’s scintillating painting of a young, unclothed Arab snake charmer appeared on the cover of Edward Said’s Orientalism. This reintroduced the artist’s name to the public but also served to negatively politicize Gérôme’s representations along the lines of Said’s argument. The paintings and drawings by Gérôme featured in this exquisite volume, in addition to examinations of his biography, influences and historical context, present Gérôme as a product of his time, a stylistic pioneer and something of a riddle waiting to be solved.
This book was published in conjunction with Qatar Museums
STATUS: Forthcoming | 3/25/2025
This title is not yet published in the U.S. To pre-order or receive notice when the book is available, please email orders @ artbook.com
FORMAT: Pbk, 8.75 x 11 in. / 176 pgs / 150 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $45.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $68 ISBN: 9788836659326 PUBLISHER: Silvana Editoriale AVAILABLE: 3/25/2025 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Forthcoming AVAILABILITY: Awaiting stock TERRITORY: NA LA ASIA AU/NZ AFR ME
Seeing Is Believing The Art and Influence of Jean-Léon Gérôme
Published by Silvana Editoriale. Edited by Emily Weeks, Giles Hudson, Sara Raza.
Critical, contemporary approaches to Gérôme's Orientalist, fetishizing paintings, once revered in the 19th century
In the 19th century, the art of French painter Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904) offered European audiences an apparently realistic and intimate view of local life in the Middle East, North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. As the 20th-century art world embraced other styles, these same qualities marked Gérôme’s art as antimodern and entirely forgettable. The tide turned in 1978, when Gérôme’s scintillating painting of a young, unclothed Arab snake charmer appeared on the cover of Edward Said’s Orientalism. This reintroduced the artist’s name to the public but also served to negatively politicize Gérôme’s representations along the lines of Said’s argument. The paintings and drawings by Gérôme featured in this exquisite volume, in addition to examinations of his biography, influences and historical context, present Gérôme as a product of his time, a stylistic pioneer and something of a riddle waiting to be solved.
This book was published in conjunction with Qatar Museums
