Odalisque (Woman of the Harem), Brassaï

Artwork Overview

Brassaï, Odalisque (Woman of the Harem)
Brassaï, Odalisque (Woman of the Harem)
Odalisque (Woman of the Harem)
1934–1935
1899–1984
Odalisque (Woman of the Harem), 1934–1935
Portfolio/Series title: Transmutations
Where object was made: France
Material/technique: gelatin silver print
Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 23.9 x 17.8 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 9 3/8 x 7 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 19 x 14 in
Credit line: Museum purchase
Accession number: 1971.0135
Not on display
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Label texts

Archive Label: Brassaï altered this photograph by drawing on glass and then using the marked piece of glass as the negative to make this print (a process called cliché-verre). An odalisque is a female slave or concubine in a harem, which is a house or section of a house reserved for female members of a Moslem household. Brassaï has here joined other European artists who since the early nineteenth century had used this artistic motif. The “odalisque” motif allowed the artist to create an image of uninhibited display of female sensuality while positioning such licentiousness safely outside of Europe itself, in a foreign culture. By depicting women in this fashion, Brassai demeans both them and the culture he places them in