A La Fontaine, Alger 1901

Paul Leroy painted this oil on canvas, entitled *A La Fontaine, Alger*, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It depicts a woman sitting by the water, feeding a goat. Leroy was part of the French Orientalist movement. Orientalism describes the fascination of Western artists with the Middle East and North Africa. France had colonised Algeria in 1830, and the country became a popular subject for French artists who were drawn to its exotic landscapes. The title *A La Fontaine* invokes the 17th century French poet, Jean de La Fontaine, known for his fables, and invites us to consider the woman and the goat as characters in a symbolic story. We might consider the politics of representing a colonised country as a pastoral idyll, erasing the realities of colonial rule. It can be revealing to consider this painting in relation to historical sources from the period, such as colonial archives and travel writing, to better understand its cultural context. Studying French art institutions of the time might also help us to understand the popularity of Orientalism, and the social function it served.