University of Leeds
School of Fine Art, History of Art & Cultural Studies
ORIENTALISM
Jean‑Léon Gérôme was a leading academic painter of the 19th century, known for his highly polished historical and Orientalist paintings. He traveled extensively in the Middle East, sketching and studying local life.
In works Bashi‑Bazouk (1868–69), Gérôme depicts Ottoman soldiers dressed in luxurious garments and accessories that he acquired abroad, even though the real auxiliary soldiers were poorly paid and unlikely to wear such fine clothing. This artistic choice shows how Gérôme projected a Western, dominant gaze onto his subjects.
Through his refined technique, careful composition, and ornamental richness, Gérôme shaped how European audiences visualized distant cultures, turning people into symbols of masculine power, mystery, and exotic allure more than real individuals.
Bashi-Bazouk
Jean-Léon Gérôme
French
1868–69
Oil on Canvas
80.6 x 66 cm
Gérôme’s Orientalist paintings depict the Ottoman world through a European perspective that often distanced itself from lived reality.
Although striking in detail, the portrait constructs an “exotic” figure—frozen and unfamiliar, rather than a person with a story.
Bashi-Bazouk
Jean-Léon Gérôme
French
ca. 1868–69
Oil on Canvas
26×21.6 cm
This portrait emphasizes costume and surface, reinforcing the idea of the Ottoman world as decorative and distant.
The fascination with difference here is shaped by power: difference presented for Western eyes.
Question：Who gets to define what is “exotic,” and why?
1824
Born in Vesoul, France (May 11).
1846
Enters the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris as a student of Paul Delaroche.
1855
Wins a medal at the Paris Salon (an important exhibition) for his historical and oriental paintings.
1856-58
Travels to the Middle East (Turkey, Egypt, etc.), sketches and studies “Oriental” subjects.
1868-69
Paints Bashi‑Bazouk (the Met’s work).
1879
Named a professor at the École des Beaux-Arts, influencing many students.
1884
Awarded the Legion of Honour (a major French distinction).
1890
Continues to produce orientalist paintings, sculptures, and works on mythological / historical themes.
1904
Dies in Paris (January 10).