At the bath 

Theodoros Ralli made this painting, At the bath, using oil paint. During the late 19th century, a trend emerged within European art to depict scenes from the Middle East and North Africa, often referred to as Orientalism. Ralli, a Greek painter who studied and worked in Paris, engaged with this genre. Here, we see a woman in what appears to be a Turkish bath, or hammam. The setting is suggested by the blue tiles, the steam, and her headscarf. The woman’s pose is relaxed, caught in a moment of private reverie. Ralli’s work, like that of many Orientalist artists, invites us to consider how the West perceived and represented the East. Was it a genuine attempt to understand other cultures, or a projection of Western fantasies and desires? By examining travelogues, photographs, and other visual materials from the period, we can begin to unpack the complex dynamics of cultural exchange and representation that shaped artworks like this.