Paintings of odalisques, slave markets, and Turkish baths became popular in the nineteenth century. What was the Orientalist fantasy, and why?
Ingres
A precocious artist, he went from 2 years study in Rome to Morocco, where he was a war artist. There he became an orientalist.
In the 8 years after painting the Death of Wolfe, he attempted a few more ‘modern history’ paintings, with varying success.
For his first decade as a professional artist, he painted narrative works and portraits. Here are some of his little-known narrative paintings.
A succinct summary of the biography of Degas, told with the aid of 12 of his key works, from history painting to the late landscapes.
Degas was nothing if not thoroughly sociable. Here are some of his more significant artistic friendships, with paintings.
Her image has been used by the French nation, the Catholic church, Napoleon, revanchists, romantics, feminists, and now the extreme right. Here are some of those powerful paintings.
Hardly painted before 1800, there has since been a succession of brilliant paintings of this story. Its focus has changed, from the tension as Oedipus tries to answer the riddle, to the femme fatale.
The anger of Achilles almost brought the Greek war against Troy to a grinding halt. But is Homer’s account fair, or was there more to it?
Mentor to Gustave Moreau, his brief career showed his brilliance. Claimed by Ingres to be ‘the Napoleon of painting’.
The Eclectic Light Company 