A day with Edwin Lord Weeks
As I was searching for paintings to use in the setup for a film I was looking for paintings with an Indian subject and while for some reason I couldn’t remember names of artists I came across a painting and suddenly remembered the name “Edwin Lord Weeks”.
Edwin Lord Weeks (1849–1903) was Americas most celebrated expatriate artist. He was an Artist, collector, writer and traveller that goes without saying. His paintings belonged to the Orientalist Movement.
Orientalism is the imitation and depiction of the Eastern world. These Depictions are usually done by artist from the West. Depicting the Middle East was one of the specialism of 19th century Academics Art. Many have analysed, the West characterise or portray the East as undeveloped and static in its ways — therefore fabricating a view that study of oriental culture is depicted and reproduced in the service of Imperialism. Thus implicating how the Western society is developed, flexible and superior.
Orientalist art consist of Pre- 19th century, French Orientalism and British Orientalism Art covered the works depicting Islamic turks or muslims of the North Africa, West Asia and Ottoman Empire. The scenes and subjects of Oritentalism were always exotic, colourful and sensual.
Coming back to Edwin Weeks, having lived in Boston and Paris, he traveled throughout Spain, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Persia and India. He was someone who traveled way beyond the “Orient familiar” among his noted colleagues. His scenes of Egypt and Morocco established his early success in France and America. But for me Edwin Weeks is one of the few of this time to explore the worlds of India and painting a vision of that region which so beautifully depicted the monumental architecture, colourful street life and its vibrant culture. This added a feather of Indian imagery to his hat as an Orientalist Painter which made him stand out from his Orientalist colleagues and bought him reputation and International acclaim.
For me Week’s paintings captured the Indian Historic Architecture so beautifully. His paintings are a great study of the effects of sunlight and glare. There is always a sense of immediacy and involvement with the happenings of the painting. Often through the years since I discovered his work I have found myself visiting his paintings just to feel like traveling into a past life and walking though the markets and meeting the people he has painted and at the same time wondering and trying to understand what intrigued Week’s bout these individuals and what was his interaction with these subjects like. Though the painting were made by the West thinking the East as undeveloped but for me when I walk through this world I still feel a sense of Opulence and Grandness of the Architecture and rich history that we as Indians have lost the knowledge of and which for sure attracted these Western people.
To me these paintings are a wealth of lost Indian history and answers to questions that come to the mind when I walk through similar historic architecture today. Questions like how would the market setups look? What would they sell ? What was the mode of transport? Each of Week’s painting is a history lesson in itself. His paintings for me have made time travel as easy as opening the Narnia Door on my computer to study the life, fashion styles and trends of a forgotten era.
Weeks painting always ask for the viewers participation in them. You cant help but spend hours looking when you come across his work admire the details and hours he must have poured to make each painting. His paintings are a great study of composition with architectural buildings. His human composition with buildings look so natural at the same time well composed. It’s like looking at a photograph in action with his gorgeous details of fabric and dresses of the Nautch girls or Inlay and Wood carving work in the buildings and even the tapestry used on the elephants and horses that roamed the markets. He even took the time to include the friendly street dog as part of the Mise-en-scene he created.
As a Film student and a Production Designer paintings have always been a great way to fill the gap for Period films when it comes to finding the answers to architecture, textures of building and material used, to what colors and daily/market actives were performed. As I go through this hunting process it’s an added delight to do it with these visual treats.
Orientalist painting have been studies by film makers through history to understand composition of a frame and visual elements.
I would like to express by Gratitude to these Orientalist Painters for their efforts and their time taken to finish these paintings. Such realistic scenes for us and leaving a treasure of history and also to the many who purchased these paintings and others who preserved them so even today we have access to this knowledge. Students and Artists today find themselves going back to these greats to find answers and inspirations for fashion and styles.
If you ever felt like going down the Indian History road I would recommend do that with the visual help of paintings left for us by Edwin Weeks and other Orientalist Artists it makes the Journey more fun.