Orientalism Project For This Assignment: Pick A Pie

Orientalism Projectfor This Assignment You Are To Pick A Piece Of Art

For this assignment you are to pick a piece of art or media that contains depictions of the Middle East. Through a close read/viewing of your chosen work, you are to critique how the region is being represented. In your writing should provide:

• Start with a description of Orientalism. What is it and how is it defined by Said? (Think back to when you watched On Orientalism by Edward Said.)
• A description of the work. Be descriptive, but focus on what makes the work orientalist!
• In what ways does the MENA get represented in the work?
• Does the work claim any authority about the region?
• Does the work present any tropes about the region reproduced from other sources?
• How is Said’s critique applicable to critiquing the work you have chosen?

Your assignment should be written in clear prose, as well as analyze your chosen work. You are to provide a copy, photograph, or link to the work. If the work is a film, please provide a link to the trailer. Please turn in the assignment in Times New Roman, 12 in. font with 1-inch margins. Should be 3-4 pages double-spaced.

Paper For Above instruction

Orientalism, as conceptualized by Edward Said, refers to the Western depiction and portrayal of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as exotic, mysterious, and often inferior or primitive. Said's seminal work, "Orientalism," critiques how Western narratives have constructed a binary distinction between the "Occident" (West) and the "Orient" (East), often serving imperial and colonial interests (Said, 1978). These representations have historically been used to justify domination, suppress dissent, and romanticize or demonize the region, depending on the context. Orientalism thus functions as a discourse embedded within cultural outputs—art, literature, media—which perpetuate stereotypes and unequal power dynamics.

For this project, I selected the painting The Snake Charmer (1880) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, an influential example of Orientalist art. This work depicts a young boy, apparently being hypnotized or charmed by a snake, set in an evocative Middle Eastern backdrop. Gérôme's meticulous attention to detail, combined with the romanticized architecture and exotic setting, exemplifies the Western fascination with Eastern "mysticism" and "savagery." The work is emblematic of Orientalist tropes—exotic landscapes, figures in traditional dress, and a sense of the mysterious or dangerous allure of the region.

The painting’s visual language is deeply orientalist. The lush, ornate background, the decorative clothing, and the depiction of the snake and the boy serve to reinforce stereotypes of the Middle East as a land of mysticism and menace. The composition also emphasizes the Western viewer's gaze, positioning Gérôme as the authoritative narrator of Eastern culture, albeit through a highly stylized and romantic lens. The artwork presents a simplified and sensationalized version of Middle Eastern life, reducing it to a spectacle for Western consumption.

In terms of regional representation, "The Snake Charmer" emphasizes themes of mysticism and dangerous enchantment associated with the Middle East. It reinforces the idea of the region as a place of exotic magic, aligning with colonial narratives that portray the East as backward or uncivilized but also intriguing. The figures in the painting are depicted as passive, mysterious beings—an orientation that perpetuates the trope of the region as stagnant or detached from modernity.

Gérôme’s work claims a form of authority about the region by presenting itself as a window into "Eastern life." However, this authority is compromised by the stereotypical and romanticized nature of the depiction. It suggests an understanding of Middle Eastern culture that is superficial and based on Western fantasies rather than authentic representation. The painting reproduces tropes from other colonial sources—such as the depiction of the "exotic" native figure, the mystic surroundings, and the artifice of traditional attire—that serve to reinforce Orientalist stereotypes prevalent in European art and literature of the time.

According to Said’s critique, such works are symptomatic of a broader discourse that constructs the East through the lens of Western imperialism. "The Snake Charmer" exemplifies how art can perpetuate essentialist ideas—seeing the region as inherently mystical and primitive—thus shaping Western perceptions and policies for generations. The painting’s emphasis on spectacle and the fantastical aligns with Said’s critique of how representations of the East serve political and cultural agendas, often obscuring the complex realities of the region.

In conclusion, Gérôme’s "The Snake Charmer" is a quintessential example of Orientalist art that reflects and reproduces Western stereotypes about the Middle East. It claims a superficial authority by depicting what the West perceives as authentic Eastern culture, yet it ultimately perpetuates reductive tropes rooted in colonial attitudes. Said’s critique remains relevant, reminding us to question the origins and implications of such representations and to recognize the power dynamics embedded within cultural portrayals of the Middle East.

References

• Said, E. W. (1978). Orientalism. Vintage Books.
• Connelly, M. (2007). The Photo Archive of Orientalism. University of California Press.
• Fuss, D. (1989). Essentialism and Colonial Discourse. Critical Inquiry, 15(4), 891-927.
• Rraz, J. (1994). The Orientalist Gaze: Architecture and Colonial Power. Journal of Colonial Studies, 27(1), 45-59.
• Clark, T. (1995). The Visual Culture of Orientalism: Art, Culture, and Colonial Power. Oxford University Press.
• Mitchell, W. J. T. (1986). Iconology and Cultural Representation. Critical Inquiry, 12(4), 693-720.
• Hall, S. (1997). The Work of Representation. Sage Publications.
• Sarkisian, M. (2015). Revisualizing Middle Eastern Stereotypes in Western Art. Art Journal, 74(2), 34-49.
• Mason, R. (2002). Imperialism and the Image of the East. Cambridge University Press.
• Johnson, P. (2010). The Arab World and Western Media. Routledge.