Orientalism and its Impact
Orientalism is an art and architectural movement that explores the Orient through the lens of its history. The movement has become a prominent force in contemporary art and architecture. Said's work has been criticized by both its supporters and detractors. Some scholars question the validity of Said's thesis and argue that it is outdated. But his supporters argue that his basic thesis remains relevant, especially as it pertains to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and general representations of the Orient in Western culture.
Art
During the nineteenth century, Europeans flocked to the Middle East for inspiration. They sought architectural motifs, textiles, and art. The Aesthetic movement in Great Britain encouraged the beauty of form over content, and oriental interiors were the inspiration for these works. Aesthetic artists like Antoine Jean Gros, a student of Jacques Louis David, painted a painting entitled Napoleon in the Plague House at Jaffa, which depicted Napoleon's visit to plague-afflicted prisoners. This painting also featured figures in exotic costume, including women.
While most Orientalism artists traveled to the region, many used photographs and artifacts for inspiration. The art of Orientalism grew along with colonial activities and increased contact with the Orient. Some Orientalists tried to capture the authentic culture of the region while others merely condensed the cultures of various nations into a generic, westernized vision of the Orient.
Architecture
One of the most common forms of Orientalism is colonial architecture. These structures were built by European architects in a region, but the design was not native to that region. Instead, autochthonous communities had to design these structures. A double bind paradox arises when the addressee cannot resolve a conflict between opposing messages.
Historically, colonial architecture transformed the living conditions of the colonised and compelled the colonised to adopt European notions of the "Oriental Other." Early modern literature and art embodied the imagery of the Orient for European consumers, and architecture was the most consistent manifestation of this era.
Subjects
Since Edward Said published Orientalism in 1978, a flood of scholarship has been generated on the history of the Orient in the Western world. Most of the scholarship focuses on nineteenth-century Orientalism and its effects on Western cultural production. It has also shed new light on Arab academics who questioned and critiqued Western tropes about the Orient, particularly those that portray Arabs as less human, moral, and intelligent than Westerners.
The resulting controversy is not limited to Oriental studies. A number of critics point to a glaring problem: the failure to hire native speakers of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian for teaching. They connect this failure to the history of racism in Europe, and, in the process, they also include Jews in this history. The British case in India is perhaps the most prominent example of how Orientalism failed to manage social conditions.
Origins
Orientalism is a mindset that views cultures of the Middle East as inferior and backward compared to Western cultures. It can arise in many different ways. It can affect how you look at people, places, and things, and understanding its roots can help you move more freely through the world. The term "Orientalism" originated in the 18th century as a reaction to changes in British colonial policies toward India. While "Anglicanism" argued that India should be ruled according to British law, "Orientalists" opposed colonial policy and insisted that local laws be given primacy.
The term "Orientalism" derives from the words Orient and Occident, which refer to the East. While the Occident was considered to be the normal part of the world, with a civilization and one god, the Orient was seen as "Other," deviating from the norms of civilized society and regularly worshipping multiple gods.
Impact
Orientalism was a powerful political vision in the early twentieth century, based on the works of white men who studied and wrote about the Middle East. During this period, the Arabic and Muslim populations were considered to be different from the Western world. The stereotyping of these populations was critical for the construction of Western identities.
In the West, orientalism has shaped Western cultural representations and thought. It has been a central source of understandings of the Eastern world, and in the Middle East in particular. It is a powerful political tool for domination.
Crossover
Orientalism has several forms. There is the classical, aesthetic, post-saidian, and reverse forms. Each of these has its own characteristics. It is important to know the difference between them. Here is a brief overview. If you are interested in a specific type of Orientalism, you can start by looking at some of the classic examples.
Orientalism can be defined in many different ways, and each of these forms has their own characteristics. Some examples include cultural orientalism, aesthetic orientalism, religious orientalism, political orientalism, and racial orientalism. There is also a category called Saidian Orientalism.
