Odalisque

Art Historical Context

Nestled in the European Paintings department of the Metropolitan of Art, *Odalisque* is an enchanting oil-on-canvas work by French artist Benjamin-Constant (Jean-Joseph-Benjamin Constant), measuring 35 x 54 3/4 inches. Created in an unknown year, this piece captures the intimate, dreamlike essence of an Orientalist scene, featuring sleeping figures amid men and women in a harem-like setting. The generous dimensions allow for immersive details, evoking a sense of luxurious repose. Benjamin-Constant was a master of 19th-century Orientalism, a movement that romanticized the exotic allure of the ...