Description:
Benjamin-Constant and the orientalist painting. Benjamin-Constant (1845-1902) belongs to the last generation of artists faithful to the traditional notion of genres. As a history painter, he abandoned Antiquity for Orient — a choice probably determined by a journey to Spain and Tanger in 1872. If he sometimes seems to emulate the memory of Delacroix, the dramatic character of his compositions and the decoration prevail over the historical significance of the events represented. The same can be said about the genre scenes, especially the harem interiors, in which Henri Régnault’ s influence is noticeable. In conclusion, Benjamin-Constant’s orientalist work offers a neoromantic alternative to the contemporary orientalism of a Gérôme.