The Flute Player 

Rudolf Ernst made this oil painting, The Flute Player, during a period when Orientalism in art was at its peak. It is useful to consider what exactly western artists were doing when they represented the 'Orient'. This image, with its North African setting, creates meaning through very specific visual codes. The dark-skinned musician, the monkey, the exotic musical instruments, the decorative carpet, and the architecture signify the cultural other for a European audience. It's worth noting that Ernst himself never visited North Africa; his knowledge came from other paintings, books, and photographs. We might ask, what were the social conditions that shaped artistic production in Europe? Why was there a market for Orientalist paintings? What was the public role of art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries? A cultural historian will look to answer these questions and put the artwork into its proper social and institutional context.