The Slave Market (French: Le Marché d'esclaves) is an 1866 painting by the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme. It depicts an unspecific Middle Eastern or North African setting where a man inspects the teeth of a nude, female slave.
Maxime Du Camp, who had travelled extensively in the Near East, reviewed the painting from the 1867 Salon. He located the motif to Cairo's slave market and described the painting as "a scene done on the spot".[1] Du Camp wrote:
It is one of these [more expensive] women, an Abyssinian, that M. Gérôme has taken as the principal figure of his composition. She is nude and being displayed by the djellab, who has the fine head of a brigand accustomed to every sort of abduction and violence; the idea of the eternal soul must not very often have tormented such a bandit. The poor girl is standing, submissive, humble, resigned, with a fatalistic passivity that the painter has very skillfully rendered.[1][2]
Race, gender, and sexuality
Gérome's Buying A Slave (1857), with a Classical setting, predated The Slave Market by almost ten years.
In an art historical context, Harem scenes depicted domestic spaces for the women in the Muslim societies; the males were only included in barbaric and sexual relations. This painting presents an unspecific Middle Eastern or North African setting in which a man inspects the teeth of a nude Caucasian[3] female slave. Women were depicted with a passive sexuality, while the men were depicted as domineering and disrespectful towards women.[4]
Gérome's depictions of slave trading predated The Slave Market and some were set in the Classical world. He painted a very similar scene in 1857, Buying a Slave, set in the ancient Greek or Roman world, in which racial differences between buyer, seller, and slave are not as apparent.[1] The slaves depicted sometimes vary in skin color (as in The Slave Market of 1871); in all cases a woman or women are for sale, with men as buyers or sellers, but in the background of The Slave Market buyers can be seen inspecting a nude, dark-skinned male, and in the background of Slave Market in Ancient Rome (c. 1884) two enslaved males, one black and one white, can be seen.
A depiction by Gérôme of a slave in another context is Cave Canem (1881). In ancient Rome, a chained and collared man sits under the notice "Cave Canem," Latin for "Beware the Dog."
Use in media
2019 European elections
The right-wing political party Alternative for Germany used the painting in a political advert for the 2019 European Parliament election. The reprint was accompanied with the slogan "Europeans vote AfD!" and "So Europe doesn't become Eurabia!"[5]Deutsche Welle reported how the painting was used with racist intent, in that it suggestively depicted dark-skinned men with beards and turbans "inspecting the teeth of a nude white woman".[6] The Clark Art Institute denounced AfD's use of the painting strongly.[7]
Gallery: Gérôme's depictions of slaves and slave markets
Detail from The Slave Market (1866) showing an enslaved dark-skinned male
^ abcdeLees, Sarah, ed. (2012). Nineteenth-Century European Paintings at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute (excerpt: "The Slave Market")(PDF). pp. 359–363.
^Hering, Fanny Field (1892). Gérôme: The Life and Works of Jean Léon Gérôme. New York: Cassell. p. 117.
^Davis, Professor Robert (2003). Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast and Italy, 1500–1800. Ohio USA: Pangrave MacMillan. ISBN978-0-333-71966-4.
^Ali, Isra (2015). "The harem fantasy in nineteenth-century Orientalist paintings". Dialectical Anthropology. 39: 33–46. doi:10.1007/s10624-015-9372-7. S2CID 254414427.
^"U.S. Museum Condemns Far-right German Party for Using Their Painting for anti-Muslim Campaign". Haaretz. May 1, 2019.
^"AfD in hot water with US museum over campaign billboard". Deutsche Welle. April 26, 2019.
^Hickley, Catherine (30 April 2019). "US museum criticises use of Gérôme's Slave Market in German right-wing campaign". The Art Newspaper.
Jean-Léon Gérôme: Slave Market by Sarah Lees from Nineteenth-century European Paintings at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, pp. 359–363.
Media related to The Slave Market (Gerome) at Wikimedia Commons
January 01, 2023
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The Slave Market French Le Marche d esclaves is an 1866 painting by the French artist Jean Leon Gerome It depicts an unspecific Middle Eastern or North African setting where a man inspects the teeth of a nude female slave The Slave MarketArtistJean Leon GeromeYear1866MediumOil on canvasDimensions84 6 cm 63 3 cm 33 3 in 24 9 in LocationClark Art Institute Williamstown Massachusetts USThe painting was bought by Adolphe Goupil on 23 August 1866 and exhibited at the Salon in 1867 It was bought and sold several times until Robert Sterling Clark bought it in 1930 Since 1955 it is part of the Clark Art Institute s collection 1 Along with Gerome s The Snake Charmer also owned by the Clark The Slave Market has become an iconic example of 19th century orientalist art 1 Contents 1 Reception 2 Race gender and sexuality 3 Use in media 3 1 2019 European elections 4 Gallery Gerome s depictions of slaves and slave markets 5 Gallery Other Academic and Orientalist depictions of slave markets 6 References 7 External linksReception EditMaxime Du Camp who had travelled extensively in the Near East reviewed the painting from the 1867 Salon He located the motif to Cairo s slave market and described the painting as a scene done on the spot 1 Du Camp wrote It is one of these more expensive women an Abyssinian that M Gerome has taken as the principal figure of his composition She is nude and being displayed by the djellab who has the fine head of a brigand accustomed to every sort of abduction and violence the idea of the eternal soul must not very often have tormented such a bandit The poor girl is standing submissive humble resigned with a fatalistic passivity that the painter has very skillfully rendered 1 2 Race gender and sexuality Edit Gerome s Buying A Slave 1857 with a Classical setting predated The Slave Market by almost ten years In an art historical context Harem scenes depicted domestic spaces for the women in the Muslim societies the males were only included in barbaric and sexual relations This painting presents an unspecific Middle Eastern or North African setting in which a man inspects the teeth of a nude Caucasian 3 female slave Women were depicted with a passive sexuality while the men were depicted as domineering and disrespectful towards women 4 Gerome s depictions of slave trading predated The Slave Market and some were set in the Classical world He painted a very similar scene in 1857 Buying a Slave set in the ancient Greek or Roman world in which racial differences between buyer seller and slave are not as apparent 1 The slaves depicted sometimes vary in skin color as in The Slave Market of 1871 in all cases a woman or women are for sale with men as buyers or sellers but in the background of The Slave Market buyers can be seen inspecting a nude dark skinned male and in the background of Slave Market in Ancient Rome c 1884 two enslaved males one black and one white can be seen A depiction by Gerome of a slave in another context is Cave Canem 1881 In ancient Rome a chained and collared man sits under the notice Cave Canem Latin for Beware the Dog Use in media Edit2019 European elections Edit The right wing political party Alternative for Germany used the painting in a political advert for the 2019 European Parliament election The reprint was accompanied with the slogan Europeans vote AfD and So Europe doesn t become Eurabia 5 Deutsche Welle reported how the painting was used with racist intent in that it suggestively depicted dark skinned men with beards and turbans inspecting the teeth of a nude white woman 6 The Clark Art Institute denounced AfD s use of the painting strongly 7 Gallery Gerome s depictions of slaves and slave markets Edit Detail from The Slave Market 1866 showing an enslaved dark skinned male Greek Slave 1870 an unfinished because stolen painting Museum of Fine Arts Boston The Slave Market 1871 Cincinnati Art Museum Cave Canem 1881 Musee Georges Garret Studies for Slave Market in Ancient Rome above and A Roman Slave Market below Walters Art Museum Study for Slave Market in Ancient Rome graphite and black crayon c 1884 Walters Art Museum Study for Slave Market in Ancient Rome oil on canvas Musee Georges Garret Slave Market in Ancient Rome c 1884 Hermitage Museum A Roman Slave Market c 1884 Walters Art MuseumGallery Other Academic and Orientalist depictions of slave markets Edit Victor Giraud peintre fr Un marchand d esclaves 1867 Musee d Orsay Gustave Boulanger The Slave Market 1886 private collection Oscar Pereira da Silva Escrava Romana c 1894 Otto Pilny The Slave Market 1910References Edit a b c d e Lees Sarah ed 2012 Nineteenth Century European Paintings at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute excerpt The Slave Market PDF pp 359 363 Hering Fanny Field 1892 Gerome The Life and Works of Jean Leon Gerome New York Cassell p 117 Davis Professor Robert 2003 Christian Slaves Muslim Masters White Slavery in the Mediterranean the Barbary Coast and Italy 1500 1800 Ohio USA Pangrave MacMillan ISBN 978 0 333 71966 4 Ali Isra 2015 The harem fantasy in nineteenth century Orientalist paintings Dialectical Anthropology 39 33 46 doi 10 1007 s10624 015 9372 7 S2CID 254414427 U S Museum Condemns Far right German Party for Using Their Painting for anti Muslim Campaign Haaretz May 1 2019 AfD in hot water with US museum over campaign billboard Deutsche Welle April 26 2019 Hickley Catherine 30 April 2019 US museum criticises use of Gerome s Slave Market in German right wing campaign The Art Newspaper External links EditThe Slave Market Archived 2016 05 22 at the Wayback Machine at the Clark Art Institute s website Jean Leon Gerome Slave Market by Sarah Lees from Nineteenth century European Paintings at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute pp 359 363 Media related to The Slave Market Gerome at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Slave Market Gerome painting amp oldid 1128641616, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
