Abstract
Orientalism is a Western and Western-centric broad field of research that studies the social structures, cultures, languages, histories, religions, and geographies of countries to the east of Europe. The term took on a secondary, detrimental association in the 20th century which looks down on the East. However, this chapter will not dwell on the definition of Orientalism that is debated the most; instead, it will discuss the positive contribution of Orientalism to Western culture. Even though the West otherizes the East in daily life, when it comes to desire, vanity, luxury, and flamboyance without hesitating a moment it adopts these very elements from the Eastern culture. It could be said that this adaptation brings these societies closer in one way or another. The highly admired fashion of Orientalism in the West starting from the 17th century until the 21st century will be the focus of this study.
TopBackground
Edward Said admits that there are “different types of orientalism” and this “cultural phenomenon” will continue to be discussed owing to its “variability and unpredictability” (Keller, 2013, p.7). Rosenthal quotes Said’s definition, “Orientalism in Western literature is a mode of thought for defining, classifying, and expressing the presumed cultural inferiority of the Islamic Orient: In short, it is a part of the vast control mechanism of colonialism, designed to justify and perpetuate European dominance,” and explains that he is not going to use this analysis in his study. He says that, “French Orientalist painting will be discussed in terms of its aesthetic quality and historical interest, and no attempt will be made at a re-evaluation of its political uses” (Rosenthal, 1982, p.9).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Oriental Carpet: Hand-woven carpets mostly woven in Turkey and Iran.
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu: An English aristocrat, writer, poet, and wife (1689-1762) of the British ambassador who lived in Edirne and Istanbul during her husband’s official duty in the Ottoman Empire, known for the letters she wrote during her stay.
Orient: The geographic region that signifies Turkey, the Levant, and the Arabian Peninsula occupied by the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth century which expands to North Africa and Central, Southeast Asia and Far East in the nineteenth and the twentieth century respectively.
Turquierie: Popular cultural phenomenon which influenced Europe’s art, music, painting, architecture, and fashion especially between sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
Orientalism: A Western-centric, field of research that studies the social structures, cultures, languages, histories, religions, and geographies of countries to the east of Europe, including Africa, Asia, the Near East, Middle East, and Far East.
West: The western part of the world that differentiates itself historically and culturally from the East or Orient; in other words, the Occident.
Oriental Painting: Paintings mostly done by Western artists depicting the Orient during the nineteenth century.
Paul Poiret: (1879-1944) the most well-known twentieth century couturier who was inspired by Orientalism.