The White Slave (1888) In de Nouy’s painting , the white slave appears as a courtesan of the Ottoman empire, enjoying the luxurious life of the harem as she smokes and snacks on an array of delicacies. In the background, we … Read more

Odalisque with Red Trousers (1922) Henri Matisse’s painting of an odalisque clothed in a veil, sheer open blouse, and bright red trousers is part of the collection of the Centre Georges Pompidou of modern art in Paris, France. Matisse’s odalisque … Read more

The Turkish Bath (1862) Ingres painted the Turkish Bath at the end of his life, five years before his death. The image is one of Ingres’ most erotic, and the scene of women bathing together was considered too risqué for its … Read more

The Grand Odalisque (1814) Though he never traveled to the “Orient,” Jean-August-Dominique Ingres, a French Classical Painter, nonetheless produced many paintings depicting veiled women that enhanced and influenced the image of the seductive  and sensual Orient.  Ingres’ most famous images of … Read more

Women of Algiers in Their Apartment (1834) One of the most famous Romantic painters and artists of his era, Eugène Delacroix was also one of the first artists to travel to North Africa as part of an ambassadorial delegation to … Read more