Orientalism: The Allure of North Africa and the Near East – Masterworks from the Dahesh Museum of Art explores how artists from both Europe and America represented the cultures and peoples of Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa– both real and imagined – during the 19th century.

The exhibition explores the artistic legacy of Western encounters with the Orient in the 19th century through a variety of themes ranging from the West’sfascination with Ancient Egypt, MedievalIslamic architecture and design, and the exploration of biblical history, to the exotic genre and harem scenes. The stories unfolded by the artists’ travels reveal the cross-cultural exchanges that continue to fascinate us two centuries later.