Roger Fenton
In the mid-19th century, Roger Fenton produced a series of photographs reflecting the Victorian fascination with the exotic imagery of empire. Inspired by the harem scenes and odalisques he had seen in the paintings of Eugène Delacroix and Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres in Paris, Fenton sought to elevate photography by engaging with themes traditionally associated with academic painting.
Reclining Odalisque is among the most restrained images in this series. Stripped of elaborate narrative and theatrical props, the composition focuses on a single figure reclining on dark cushions layered with carpets. Barefoot and adorned with a headdress of golden coins, she wears loose patterned trousers and an open blouse, gently holding a goblet drum inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Emerging softly from the surrounding darkness, the odalisque is a symbol of the Victorian carefully staged vision of exoticism.
P.S. Delacroix created some of the most famous depictions of odalisques in Western art. They were always presented through a Western, colonial lens. Explore the Orientalism in Eugène Delacroix paintings!