Garden in Algiers 1887

Anders Zorn made this watercolor, ‘Garden in Algiers,’ during a trip to Algeria in 1887. The watercolor presents a garden scene, likely painted en plein air, reflecting Zorn's interest in capturing the effects of light and atmosphere. The image creates meaning through its depiction of a specific time and place. Algeria was a French colony at the time. We see a garden that might have been frequented by Europeans. The painting hints at broader themes of colonialism, cultural exchange, and the exoticization of non-Western cultures. This was a period when European artists increasingly traveled to North Africa. The institutional history of art in Europe supported and encouraged such artistic exchanges and their representation in visual art. Art historians can use travel journals, colonial archives, and studies of Orientalism to understand the painting and to help provide a deeper understanding of its historical context.