Jean-Léon Gérôme, one of the most influential French artists of the late 1800s, was known for his Orientalist scenes. He taught many American students, including George de Forest Brush. After nearly six years of study in Paris during the 1870s, Brush returned to the United States and produced a series of paintings featuring Indigenous subjects rendered in the refined style of his teacher. Working in the academic tradition, both artists sought universal beauty through emphasis on the human body, elegant composition, and convincing depth and space that would transcend the mundane and transport viewers to other worlds. Their artworks may look “real,” yet they are products of each man’s imagination. Often, the revelation of the nude body in vulnerable positions within stage-like settings reinforces a sense of voyeurism.
Community Voices
Representations of women’s bodies were a regular topic of discussion among focus group participants:
Jean-Leon Gerome
Dance of the Almeh
1863
Oil paint on wood panel
19¾ × 32 in. (50.2 × 81.3 cm)
Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio. Gift of Mr. Robert Badenhop, 1951.1
The sexualized female body, and issues of ownership and consumption, are all on display here. I don’t know what a satisfying way to deal with that would be for me, but this image feels like a cornerstone for all of these problematic themes. Just the way flesh is rendered and made available hits me as a viewer.
Focus group participants pointed out how romanticized representations of Indigenous culture continue to impact their communities:
George de Forest Brush
The Indian and the Lily
1887
oil on canvas
21 x 20 in.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2010.83. Photography by Dwight Primiano.
There’s a disconnect between authentic representations of Indigenous cultures and romanticized characterizations of Indigenous people. Such characterizations have sometimes created hurtful misconceptions – like that Indigenous people live in the past – that continue to infuse the portrayal of Indigenous history and culture.
Near East to Far West: Fictions of French and American Colonialism is organized by the Denver Art Museum. It has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Research for this exhibition was supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art. It is presented with generous support from Keith and Kathie Finger, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Sotheby's, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS Colorado.
