The Snake Charmers, Bombay 

Curator: Welcome! Here we have "The Snake Charmers, Bombay," an oil painting attributed to Edwin Lord Weeks. Editor: There's an immediate tension in this image between the exotic and the ordinary. The men's red turbans certainly capture my eye. But their simple clothing and focused expressions suggest a day’s work rather than grand spectacle. Curator: Weeks painted throughout the Middle East, and the Orient, during the late 19th century. It’s useful to see this image as part of a longer colonial history and to acknowledge the ways in which these kinds of scenes were commodified for a western audience hungry for exoticism. We should explore how race and class operate in images of snake charmers within a socio-political system like colonialism. Editor: Absolutely. From a purely aesthetic viewpoint, there is a strong horizontal composition with a pyramidal structure, drawing one's attention to the heart of the piece, to the basket, where, presumably, something is about to happen. Note how the darker skin tones of the men contrast with their bright, white garments and with the chromatic brilliance of the turbans. Curator: Indeed. I wonder, though, what stories are lost when we divorce this work from its original context. How do the snake charmers perceive themselves? What economic realities underpin their performance? What roles do gender and caste play? Weeks frames them as exotic figures, perpetuating colonial power dynamics by solidifying racial others. The colonial gaze exoticizes everything! Editor: Granted. But consider how the play of light and shadow animates the scene. Notice how Weeks guides our gaze— from the musicians, past the coiled snakes, and onward into the leafy backdrop. There is rhythm to the positioning of the subjects in relation to one another, and this relationship is the linchpin that locks all elements together. Curator: These snake charmers might represent the agency and survival in a difficult political-economic landscape of marginalized communities in Bombay. Editor: Regardless of its origin, the artist has masterfully utilized a palette dominated by warm tones to construct an engaging composition, drawing one's focus irresistibly toward its main subject matter. Curator: Considering that many elements define any artistic approach, perhaps, in the future, scholars will also explore new interpretive directions for this form of painting, that would bring cultural awareness to light. Editor: Undoubtedly! Examining both the formal construction and the historical context gives us a more layered experience, hopefully bringing greater meaning for the viewer.