A Wedding Procession before a Palace in Rajasthan 

Edwin Lord Weeks created this painting of a wedding procession in Rajasthan during the late 19th century. It offers a window into how Western artists perceived and represented non-Western cultures during a period of intense colonial interaction. Weeks, an American, was part of a wave of artists who traveled to the Middle East and Asia seeking exotic subjects. This work, like many others of its time, reflects the Orientalist fascination with the "East" as a site of spectacle, tradition, and difference. We see a carefully staged scene of local life, complete with dancers, ornamented animals, and traditional attire, all set against the backdrop of a Rajasthani palace. The painting caters to Western audiences eager for glimpses of faraway lands, and their romanticized cultural practices. To understand this painting fully, we need to consult travel literature, colonial records, and the biographies of artists like Weeks. Through these resources, we can better understand the complex interplay between artistic representation, cultural encounter, and colonial power.