Inspired by the East: How the Islamic World Influenced Western Art


Disappointing exhibition at the British Museum looking at how the Islamic world has influence Western art from about 1500.

I say disappointing as the show had a problem at the middle of it because the influence had not been that politically correct but it fell over itself to try to make this right or apologise for it. It discussed the different connotations of the word Orientalism. As the show was about the influence on art it might have done better to explain this quickly at the start and then focus on the lovely objects and pictures and what the influence was. Yes sometimes the Victorians misunderstood and misused what they were looking at but does that alter the beauty of the object that results.

I loved some of the early work in the show such as the paintings by the Danish artist, Melchoir Lorck, who visited the Ottoman Empire with a Danish embassy and created a visual record of the people he saw. I’d seen a lot before about Gentile Bellini’s trip but didn’t know about this one.

There was a good section on the influence on interior design with Leighton House featured heavily. I had not realised before that part of the fashion for tiles in the Victorian era was a change in production techniques which allowed then to be mass produced.

There was a wonderful picture gallery along two walls set against a dark red background. I loved a portrait of John Frederick Lewis shown with the scarf he is wearing in it. There was a section looking at how artists misinterpreted the Hareem as they were unable to get into it. There was also a nice display on Pascal Schah who opened the first photo studio in Cairo.

It was a nice touch that the last section featured four contemporary female artists from the Middle East. I particularly liked Ina Eviner’s “Hareem” which reclaimed an picture by Melling which had appeared earlier in the show in a 3 minute video where the figures come to life and are shown as protesting, praying and trying to escape. I found it quite mesmerizing.

Closes 26 January 2020

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