Woman of Constantinople 

Jean-Léon Gérôme painted ‘Woman of Constantinople’ using oil on canvas, though the exact date remains unknown. Gérôme was known for his Orientalist works, a genre through which Western artists depicted “the Orient,” often through a lens of colonial fantasy and exoticism. In this piece, the woman's face is partially veiled, which contributes to the air of mystery and allure that was typical of Orientalist depictions of women. How do we interpret her veiled gaze? Is she a figure trapped within the confines of her culture and gender, or is there agency in the way she presents herself? Gérôme, like many of his contemporaries, never actually visited many of the places he depicted. Instead, he relied on secondhand accounts, photographs, and his imagination, raising questions about authenticity, representation, and the Western gaze. This work invites us to reflect on how cultural narratives are constructed and consumed, and how they shape our understanding of identity and difference.