Jules Joseph Lefebvre
Odalisque
1874
The Art Institute of Chicago
In the 19th century, people were very interested in the exotic. The Exoticism movement had a preference for everything that was foreign, from another culture, preferably from a warm, exotic place somewhere far away and a theme outside one's own comfort zone. Something we could long for.
During the period of Romanticism, people wanted to escape from the harsh reality of dirty cities, long working days and poor housing. That escape from reality is what we call Escapism.
In this painting we see a naked woman, casually lying on a bed with red upholstery. It is a painting with a strong light-dark contrast. The black background ensures that the naked body of the woman is accentuated around the buttocks and waist, drawing our attention to these areas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation
I am MadameRuiz, and am an artist by profession. I hope to delight you with my work. Here in my profile, or on your wall :) Both are fun!
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