The Procession 1880

Edwin Lord Weeks created 'The Procession' with oil on canvas, a traditional material for painting at the time. Weeks' application of paint is loose and impressionistic, particularly in the rendering of the landscape. The varied textures—from the smooth fabrics to the rough foliage—are achieved through different brushstrokes and layering techniques. While Weeks was undoubtedly skilled in the academic tradition, his choice of subject matter reflects the orientalist fascination prevalent in Western art during the 19th century. Weeks traveled extensively in the Middle East and India, documenting what he saw with his painterly technique. His attention to detail in depicting the costumes and accoutrements of the figures suggests an ethnographic interest, though filtered through a Western artistic lens. The orientalist movement reinforced ideas about Western superiority and the 'exoticism' of non-Western cultures. Ultimately, Weeks' painting offers a lens through which to examine the cultural exchanges and power dynamics of the 19th century, encouraging us to consider the social context in which art is created and consumed.