“The Siesta”
Today, one from an American Academic artist…
“The Siesta” is an oil on canvas painting by the American Academic artist, Frederick Arthur Bridgman, from 1878. Bridgman is mostly remembered for his large-scale landscapes and history paintings which he created in the “Orientalism” art style.
During the 1870s and 1880s, Bridgman traveled across Algeria and Egypt. He was inspired by his professor, Jean-Léon Gérôme, who had created several “Orientalist” style paintings. During these trips, Bridgman produced a large number of sketches that he transformed in the studio into complete paintings. These depictions of the seemingly exotic people and goods from far off lands were immediately well-received by both the public and art critics alike.
In this painting, a young woman is deep into her siesta. The siesta is a short nap usually taken after a midday meal in the early afternoon. It is common in cultures that live in warmer climes, especially those around the Mediterranean Sea. She is laying on a colorful orange patterned divan with a bright green floral-patterned pillow. Notice the monkey on the back of the divan, the coffee on the decorative table in the foreground, the luxurious pillows, and the long pipe in the foreground, likely for opium.
All these object details in combination with the rich color palette of the overall piece are classic elements of the Orientalist style of art. Orientalism was popular in the latter nineteenth century, at the same time as the Decorative Arts, Japonisme, and the Art Nouveau style. However, it must be noted that most historians today view the Orientalism movement as an unsavory relic of western imperialism.
“The Siesta” is currently in a private collection.
For more on Frederick Arthur Bridgman, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
