1879 · The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown

Painted with minute precision based in part on actual places - Istanbul's Topkapi palace inspired the tiled wall, while the stone floor resembles that of the mosque of Amr in Cairo - this scene presents a European fantasy of life in the Islamic world. The assembled men, whose garments and weapons are derived from a combination of cultures, appear dazed as they watch a snake charmer. Their gaze upon the boy's naked body calls attention to our own.Show more