Granada Courtyard 

Edwin Lord Weeks, an American artist, painted this Granada Courtyard, with oil on canvas. Weeks was part of a movement of Orientalist painters who depicted scenes from North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, often focusing on architectural details. This interest arose from the European colonial expansion and the Western fascination with what was seen as 'exotic' cultures. The painting presents the Western view of Islamic architecture, emphasizing decorative arches and shaded spaces. We see a romanticized vision of the 'Orient' that was popular at the time, but this type of imagery was also often used to justify colonial power. To understand this work more fully, we need to research the history of Orientalism in art, study the colonial context of the late 19th century, and analyze the ways Western artists like Weeks constructed their representations of other cultures.