Entering harem

Description of the artwork

Jules Clairin was deeply influenced by his journey in South of Spain, espacially in Granada where he discovered the "arabo-andalou" architecture style. When he settled in Morocco a few years after, he embellished his studio in this style and liked to paint orientalist scenes with a lot of furnitures, fabrics, carpets and precious objects.
In this painting, the painter has choosen a vertical composition that allowed him to give a strong presence to his central figure. The nobility of his appearance commands respect at first sight, while he is going to go into the harem.