Odalisque 

Jean-Joseph-Benjamin Constant painted this Odalisque, sometime in the late 19th century, in oil. Constant, among other orientalist painters, was influenced by colonial narratives of North Africa and the Middle East, as well as European fascination with harems. With a contemplative gaze, the woman looks down, and we see her in this constructed, intimate moment. Often, orientalist art fetishized and exoticized women, perpetuating power imbalances between the colonizer and the colonized. Here, Constant seems to engage with the aesthetic, but not the erotic potential of the odalisque, in favor of exploring a melancholy mood. What does it mean to have painted this figure with such sensitivity, while still participating in a culture of orientalism? While the painting may not fully subvert the orientalist tradition, it offers a nuanced perspective on a complex subject, and prompts us to consider our own assumptions about cultural representation.