Lecturer: Dr Clare Rose. Week 8
Orientalism in Fashion
Orientalism is a term used to describe the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern Cultures in the West by many designers and artists. It is the study of the Orient and in the 19th century many writers from the West were influenced by the social, historical and geographical landscapes of the East. Up until 1900 there were many different kinds of Orientalism. There were different attitudes based on what is known and what isn't known. These were affected by the terms of trade between the East and Europe and the type of goods they produced for trade. Attitudes were based on European fantasies as well as reality. Some oriental cultures (China/India) were seen in terms of art and valuable products. Some (Japan/S.E.Asia) were seen in exotic ways whereas others were seen as sexual playgrounds (Muslim/Middle East).
Edward Said's 'Orientalism' (1978) has proved to be a powerful, foundational text for the shaping of scholarship and fictional literature. He states that 'Anyone employing Orientalism, which is the habit for dealing with questions, objects, qualities and regions deemed oriental, will...fix what he is talking or thinking about with a word or phrase...'. His book explores the stereotypes, and colonialism of the Orient portrayed by the Franco-British empires of the 18th and 19th centuries. He argues that Orientalism is an over generalisation and that the concept of 'the Orient' is simply a build up of academic and literary 'discourses', thus merely an invention showcased through Eurocentric eyes.
The West were extremely influenced by the East due to the huge import of goods from the Orient. This trade enforced a new style of decorative arts in the West that became known as Chinoiserie. Chinoiserie; a French term, alludes to the reflection of Chinese influences throughout European artistic styles in the 17th century. Many British designers were inspired by the fanciful imagery, decoration and whimsical styles of Chinese art/architecture and so began to imitate their sophisticated designs illustrating a mixture of Eastern and Western elements.
There are many cases of Chinoiserie-elite Exoticism that can be seen in Britain today, for example the Pagoda (Kew-1761) which can be found in the Royal Gardens. Sir William Chambers, creator of the Pagoda, was inspired by the fashion for Chinoiserie in English garden design and created a decorative and intricate building that contrasted to the 'natural' lines of original architecture. It was however disliked by a large number of people, yet I feel many were probably not used to the idea of something new and different and were thus unwelcoming towards it.
Pagoda - Kew - Royal Gardens. 1761
Japanese Exoticism in Art and Design
Self portrait with Japanese Print, 1889 - Vincent Van Gogh
Japanese design also strongly influenced British art. Many of Van Gogh's paintings suggest a strong element of Japanese designs copied from Japanese prints he owned. In a letter to his brother Theo, he wrote about the excitement of Japanese art stating, 'I envy the Japanese, the extreme clarity of everything in their work. It is never dull and it never seems to be done in to much of a hurry. Their work is as simple as breathing, and they do a figure in a few sure strokes as if it were as easy as doing up your waistcoat'. His Seld Portrait with Japanese Print, clearly showcases his love and influence for Japanese art. He further reinforces this view in another quote which states, 'all my work is founded on Japanese art...Japanese art decadent in its own country, takes root again among the French Impressionist artists'. Van Gogh, however was also keen to suggest that French artists could paint Japanese art better, however I feel that if it wasn't for their influence then British artists would never have begun to adapt their style.
Orientalism & the Origins of the Veiled Woman
In 1800, Europeans saw middle Eastern cultures as Orientalist. 'Oriental' people were said to be 'more passionate' than Europeans and thus Europeans were intrigued by women who covered themselves up in public and hid themselves in the 'harem'. In all world religions (Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism etc), there are scriptures that suggest how women ought to dress and behave. Most have to be modest and cover their head or hair as a sign of respect and obedience to G-d. Up until the 1830s however, transport was minimal and so a lot of what was said about cultures was hearsay. With the development of canals and railways many artists and designers began to travel around the world in search of new cultures, subjects and ideas. They were fascinated by what they found in the middle East and began to record what they believed to be the typical culture of Eastern lifestyles. The Orient was an unknown territory that brought about excitement and a buzz for change.
Eugene Delacroix a French, Romantic artist had a great passion for the exotic and attempted to find and illustrate the women of the harem. He relished the atmosphere of this forbidden place and found the East and its people to be hugely exotic and inspiring. His painting 'Women of Algiers' (1834) displays three women or concubines (a woman with an on-going matrimonial relationship with a man she cannot marry) reclining on the floor of a Harem. The women are displayed as idle; lounging around waiting for their man, but in truth the harem would be busy with children and other activities. It is an unrealistic portrait and I feel showcases the West’s desire for a more sordid imagination.
'Women of Algiers' - E.Delacroix
Veiled, Un-corseted women & European Fashion
Middle Eastern women's clothes were seen as being the opposite to European women. Their clothes were loose and ill fitting preventing an onlooker from seeing their true body shape of face. European fashion allowed for curves and with the invention of the corset, a woman's figure was seen to be celebrated and thus enhanced. British artists used genre paintings to analyse and depict everyday life, however when it came to understanding the middle East, British artists felt excluded and so were compelled to either imagine life in the harem or focus on the male dominated spaces of which they visited. The portraits of these areas are therefore not always true observations, but over-exaggerated displays of desire and fantasy. William Holman Hunt, a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and great believer in symbolism painted 'The Lantern Maker's Courtship' which shows a young lantern maker feeling the face of a veiled girl. The girl's modesty is compromised and I feel it conveys her vulnerability as she has to allow him touch. Many artists saw the Middle East through distorted, romanticised lenses, portraying a world of fantasy, a primitive world that they knew nothing about. Hunt's painting captures the mystery of middle Eastern clothing and suggests the male's intrigue at the female body and thus what is underneath the girl's outer clothing.
Middle Eastern women's clothes were seen as being the opposite to European women. Their clothes were loose and ill fitting preventing an onlooker from seeing their true body shape of face. European fashion allowed for curves and with the invention of the corset, a woman's figure was seen to be celebrated and thus enhanced. British artists used genre paintings to analyse and depict everyday life, however when it came to understanding the middle East, British artists felt excluded and so were compelled to either imagine life in the harem or focus on the male dominated spaces of which they visited. The portraits of these areas are therefore not always true observations, but over-exaggerated displays of desire and fantasy. William Holman Hunt, a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and great believer in symbolism painted 'The Lantern Maker's Courtship' which shows a young lantern maker feeling the face of a veiled girl. The girl's modesty is compromised and I feel it conveys her vulnerability as she has to allow him touch. Many artists saw the Middle East through distorted, romanticised lenses, portraying a world of fantasy, a primitive world that they knew nothing about. Hunt's painting captures the mystery of middle Eastern clothing and suggests the male's intrigue at the female body and thus what is underneath the girl's outer clothing.
The Lantern Maker's Courtship' - Street scene in Cairo, Egypt. 1854
Exoticism and the Russian Ballet
Exoticism, by definition, is ‘the charm of the unfamiliar’; it implies an exotic, wild and perhaps unnatural style in comparison to classical art. Similar to Orientalism, Exoticism suggests the influence of other cultures and ethnic groups within the art and design era. In the early 19th century the Ballet Russes were established and marketed a change in ballet. Unlike the normal, white graceful ballet, this ballet was vibrant and intense.
Exoticism, by definition, is ‘the charm of the unfamiliar’; it implies an exotic, wild and perhaps unnatural style in comparison to classical art. Similar to Orientalism, Exoticism suggests the influence of other cultures and ethnic groups within the art and design era. In the early 19th century the Ballet Russes were established and marketed a change in ballet. Unlike the normal, white graceful ballet, this ballet was vibrant and intense.
In this scene from 'Scheherazade' (above) you can see the bold, Turkish style drapery evident in their clothing and the Aladdin style pants suggestive of a rich, opulent and erotic fantasy. Likened to Arabian Nights 'Scheherazade' composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov combines a dazzling orchestration with oriental fashion which is in stark contrast to the classical and minimalist ballet of earlier centuries. Rimsky-Korsakov was also heavily influenced by the East and alongside Sergei Diaghilev; a Russian art critic, patron and founder of the Ballet Russes, created a huge musical sensation that brought about a whole new style of performance, dance and theatre.
Orientalism in Dress
Leon Bakst; a Russian painter and costume designer was a member of Diaghilev's 'Ballet Russes' and began to make exotic, lavish and richly coloured sets reminiscent of the Orient. Paul Poiret (1879-1944), alongside Bakst is seen as being the originator of Orientalist style, remembered for freeing women from the restricting corset and creating the pantaloon. he liberated women by pioneering a radical approach to dressmaking that relied on draper rather than tailoring. For Poiret and other modernists, the imagery of Eastern cultures offered an escape from the traditions and conventions of the West and allowed for mythical creations. Poiret's Orientalism first manifested itself in his use of colour and in his memoir he exclaims, 'The taste for the refinements of the 18th century had led all women into a sort of deliquescence. Nuances of nymph's thigh, swooning mauves, tender blue hortensias, all that was soft, washed-out, and insipid was held in honour. I threw into this sheepcote a few rough wolves; reds, greens, violets, royal blues, that made all the rest sing aloud.' Thus Poiret successfully introduced the Western world to his ingenius originality.
Orientalism in Dress
Leon Bakst; a Russian painter and costume designer was a member of Diaghilev's 'Ballet Russes' and began to make exotic, lavish and richly coloured sets reminiscent of the Orient. Paul Poiret (1879-1944), alongside Bakst is seen as being the originator of Orientalist style, remembered for freeing women from the restricting corset and creating the pantaloon. he liberated women by pioneering a radical approach to dressmaking that relied on draper rather than tailoring. For Poiret and other modernists, the imagery of Eastern cultures offered an escape from the traditions and conventions of the West and allowed for mythical creations. Poiret's Orientalism first manifested itself in his use of colour and in his memoir he exclaims, 'The taste for the refinements of the 18th century had led all women into a sort of deliquescence. Nuances of nymph's thigh, swooning mauves, tender blue hortensias, all that was soft, washed-out, and insipid was held in honour. I threw into this sheepcote a few rough wolves; reds, greens, violets, royal blues, that made all the rest sing aloud.' Thus Poiret successfully introduced the Western world to his ingenius originality.
'Sorbet' - chiffon, satin, fur skirt and tunic. 1912. Paul Poiret
The mannequin is dressed in a turban with kimono cut sleeves, cross over waist and decorative embroidery echoing the oriental style of the East.
Orientalism still exists today with many designers using the lavish and opulent colours of the Orient within their work. I believe it is the allure of the unknown East that attracts and challenges the West. Thus it is the Eastern culture that makes the Western culture appear complete.
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