Selecting The Favorite 

Giulio Rosati painted "Selecting the Favorite" as part of the Orientalist movement of the 19th century. The painting depicts a slave market scene, a common subject within Orientalism, where European artists exoticized and often misrepresented Middle Eastern and North African cultures. Here, the male figure is presented as a powerful figure, while the women are reduced to objects of desire. Rosati’s work, while celebrated for its technical skill, also participates in a broader historical trend of Western cultural dominance and misrepresentation. By delving into the archives of art institutions and the writings of contemporary critics, we can unpack the complex layers of meaning embedded in this artwork and similar examples of 19th-century European painting. It’s through this kind of historical contextualization that we can better understand the politics of imagery.