For centuries, the West has been fascinated by the mysterious allure of the Middle East and Asia, fascinated by the peculiar customs, exotic spices and colors of the bazaars, the romantic atmosphere of ornate architecture and flowing clothes. In the popular imagination, thoughts of the East conjure up stories of travel, literature, paintings, decorative arts, fashion and movies that have enchanted us for decades. Like viewing the world from a flying carpet, nostalgia for vanished civilizations developed through the perspective of Orientalism into an idealized fantasy.
Orientalism is more than a style, it is a way of looking, of perceiving, of sharing emotions and color palettes, of sensations. Historically, the richness of the exuberant kaleidoscope of mysteries and perfumes from the Orient was an antidote to the conservative establishment and ordered rational thinking. Orientalist painters were collectors of dreams, just as lovers of objects turn their study into a cabinet of curiosities. From Marco Polo's Book of the Marvels of the World to Byron's Turkish Tales, from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano, from Delacroix to the British explorer Richard Burton, from Cleopatra to Lawrence of Arabia, Orientalism offers a vision full of dreams, secrets and poetry, a sensual tableau perfumed with incense, in which past and present are intertwined.
Assouline de Style Series
After the successful Travel series, introduces Assouline now the Style series, which features the most iconic art movements and design styles are highlighted, and their historical impact and continuing influence on our current culture is revealed.
Specifications
Title: Orientalism Style
Publisher: Assouline
Size: 245 x 330 x 38 mm
Size: 296 pages
Weight: 4.85 kg
Language: English
Material
ISBN: 9781649800381
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