‘Orientalism’ and the Painting of Fantasy

During the 19th century, there was a rising demand in Western Europe for ‘Orientalist’ paintings and the Wallace Collection displays several fascinating examples. On the surface, these alluring depictions of Asia and North Africa appear realistic and potentially innocuous. However, Dr Matthew Morgan will reveal how these highly contrived images represented deeply entrenched racial and gender stereotypes and supported Eurocentric views of cultural superiority.
 
This event is part of the Art History Festival 2024 organised by the Association for Art History.
 
About the speaker: Dr Matthew Morgan is Director of Turner’s House in Twickenham, and an Associate Lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London. He has worked in the heritage sector for 10 years, including at the Royal Collection and the National Gallery. Prior to that, he was a Director at Christie’s. He has taught diverse audiences across the UK as well as making a series of short films which can be seen on YouTube.