Jfl part 2
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Transcript of Jfl part 2
Wow, look at that meticulous detail!
You can't even see the brushstrokes—it's like a photo!
Bright and vivid colors
Illusion of space is convincing due to one-point perspective
Emily Weeks has studied this painting
The ethnographic details are right—clothes, furnishings, and room arrangement
The servant-lady relationship is accurate too
Gazelles were popular pets for richEgyptians, symbols of female beauty
HOWEVER, one major thing is wrong
This is the mandarah, a room exclusively for men
Lewis would have known this
Maybe he was testing his audience?
Or making a statement about treatment of women in the OttomanEmpire
England, France, and the Ottoman Empire all wanted North Africa
If you start in England and want to get to India, you have two options...
Sail around Africa
OR...
Sail to Egypt,walk on land a little,then sail to India
The British liked this option more, so they wanted control of Egypt.
Late 18th century (1700's)Napoleon tries to control Egypt,British forces force out the French
1805 Ottoman leader Muhammed Ali expels the British, leaving bad feelings
1840s (Lewis's time) Egypt-Britain relationship improved
1860s US Civil War means Britain needs new sources for cotton
Egypt becomes even more desirable
Basically, at this point Britain had 3 reasons for wanting Egypt:
Take it from the Ottomans who treat women poorlyTrade route to IndiaCotton
France also wants control
A French success! 1869 Suez Canal
Suez Canal = access to important trade routes
However, by the 1870s Britain became the largest shareholder of the Suez
But really, the Ottoman Empire still held Egypt until 1882
Ottoman debt and bankruptcy forced them to hand it to the British
Remember, this painting is from 1873
France had recently built the Suez Canal (When was that?)
The British were interested in Egypt, but they didn't control Egypt yet
Egypt was both far and near to Lewis's audiences