The Lure of the East: British Orientalist Painting ~ Alia Zaidi

The author of Staging The Lure of the East Exhibition Making and Orientalism is Christine Riding. She is the head of Arts and Curator of the Queen’s House. She is also the Deputy editor Art History and co-author of Turner & The Sea. Christine wants to emphasize the history of orientalist painting in Britain and the background of Middle East in this book. The intended audience is the people who love arts, exhibition and the one who want to know more about British Orientalist Painting.

The Lure of the East Exhibition was known as the large scale survey of British Orientalist painting. This exhibition not chronologically, was structured according to the categories of portraiture, genre, religious subjects, interior and landscape. The exhibition concentrated on the period 1830 to 1920. The aim is to explain of what represent the Orientalist, Middle East theme.

The author also stated the perception of the West to Islam and Muslims. Also, the multi-culturalism and diversity. She should give details about what is the perception of the West to Islam and Muslims in context that relevant and with reliable references. The context was not enough to convey the perception of the West to Islam and Muslims.

The text not well balanced because the author mixed with the information of the exhibition and sometimes write about the presumptions about Muslims. The main text should be about the whole stories about the exhibition such as, who came up with the tittle, who chose the theme, whose ideas to choose the image for the poster campaign, all of this information she should include in the main text not the last of the paragraph text because this information is important to the readers so that the people behind of the exhibition should be well appreciated based on their ideas too, not only painters. Because without them, the exhibition won’t going smoothly and succeed.

The main issue raised by the author is about the paintings that offend the Muslims such as Latham’s God is Great by Tate in 2005, comprising a large editions of the Bible, Quran and Talmud. Oppression, inequality, political tension and cultural awareness also the issues that the author wants to highlight. These issues should be the climax of the text.

The text is hard to follow because the author didn’t organize the text accordingly to what significant first. The author should organize the text properly according to what is the exhibition is all about, the aim of the exhibition, what is British Orientalist painting, the background of Middle East and follow by additional information that relates with the topic.

Advertising is important in marketing the exhibition. The image of poster is strong enough to catch the eyes of viewers to visit the exhibition. Survey showed that 90% United Kingdom advertising represents young women. They often features on posters and catalogue for art exhibitions.

Overall, it’s a good book that full with information about the exhibition, painting and the Middle-East culture. Highly recommend to the people who’ into arts and exhibitions.

The Lure of The East exhibition focuses on Middle East cultures and landscapes. The exhibition is the large scale survey of British Orientalist painting. Extremely topical and rexonated well beyond the art and academic worlds.

Orientalism - not a movement or a scale

- move in the nature of a tradition with its base in common fascination

- common factor is place

The exhibition was structured according to the categories of potraiture, genre, religious subjects, interior and harem subjects, finally landscape exploration of artists- painters.
Concentrated on the period 1830 to 1920 (the rise of steamboat travel that fascilated and encouraged journeys to Turkey, Palestine and Eygpt after the World War 1.

Some of the British Orientalist painting artworks: