A recent exhibition in DOHA, Qatar titled Seeing Is Believing: The Art and Influence of Gérôme aimed to challenge the Orientalist perspective of the Eastern world perpetuated by artist Jean Léon-Gérôme. Curated by Emily Weeks, Giles Hudson, and Sara Raza, the exhibition delves into Gérôme’s iconic but controversial depictions of the people and customs of the region.
The exhibition is strategically laid out, starting with a basic explanation of Orientalism and how artists like Gérôme portrayed the MENASA region through a blend of reality and fantasy. The absence of some of Gérôme’s more infamous works allows visitors to focus on pieces like the “Veiled Circassian Lady,” revealing the artist’s tendency to fabricate stories and project his fantasies onto his subjects.
Emily Weeks provides insights into Gérôme’s artistic techniques, such as bricolage, while also shedding light on the critique of the Western depiction of Arabs by scholars like Edward Said. The exhibition attempts to showcase both sides of Gérôme – the skilled painter and the perpetuator of stereotypes. However, the emphasis on his artistic prowess overshadows the criticism directed towards him, painting him as a chronicler of cultures rather than a perpetuator of harmful stereotypes.
The second section of the exhibition contrasts the European photographers’ exotic and exaggerated images of the East with more realistic depictions by artists like Naser al-Din Shah. The third section showcases modern and contemporary art that challenges Eurocentric views, offering a fresh perspective through works that resist essentializing and voyeuristic tendencies.
Notably, artist Nadia Kaabi-Linke’s installation “One Olive Garden Tree” symbolizes the ongoing colonial expansion in the Levant, adding a powerful layer of depth to the exhibition. The show serves as a reminder of the distorted Western gaze that artists like Gérôme perpetuated and the importance of deconstructing such perspectives.
