History of Orientalism Research Paper by writingsensation
History of Orientalism
This in-depth paper examines the culture and history of eastern Islam, also known as Orientalism.
# 68105
| 3,071 words
| 5 sources
| MLA
| 2006
|

Published
on Jul 31, 2006
in
Art
(History)
, History
(European)
, History
(Middle Eastern)
, Religion and Theology
(Eastern)
, Religion and Theology
(Islam)
, Religion and Theology
(Christianity)
, Political Science
(Marx / Engels)
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Description:
The writer of this paper defines the term Orientalism, which comes from the Latin word oriens, as the rising sun, which generally implies, 'the East.' This paper focuses on the culture, religion, art and history of Orientalism. This paper explores the European view of Islam throughout history. The writer explains that during the birth of Christianity and Islam there was a distinct difference between European Christian cultures and those of East and North Africa, which are detailed at length in this paper. During the Middle Ages the European Christians denounced the Islamic people as the enemies of Christendom, due to their lack of knowledge of Eastern culture. This paper discusses how the Enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century viewed the Eastern culture as being superior to that of the Christian west. This paper illustrates that Islamic societies were praised for their religious tolerance when compared with Christian west. This paper also delves into those who opposed the Orientalist culture, such as James Mill, who believed that Eastern civilizations were stagnant and corrupt and Karl Marx who believed that Eastern methods of production were static. Christian evangelists further maligned Eastern traditions as superstitious nonsense. This paper also examines the rich artistic history of the Oriental culture. Depictions of Islamic Moors were found in Medieval and Renaissance art, but it wasn't until the 19th century that Orientalism became recognized in the arts. This paper also details the outspoken views and opinions of political activist and author Edward Said.
Table of Contents:
Definition of Orientalism
History of Orientalism
Orientalism in the Arts
History of Orientalism in the Arts
Edward Said and Orientalism
References
Table of Contents:
Definition of Orientalism
History of Orientalism
Orientalism in the Arts
History of Orientalism in the Arts
Edward Said and Orientalism
References
From the Paper:
"Photography was still in its infancy and did not allow for the capture of the sunlight, the colors and the mood in which a painter could. With the iconoclastic nature of Islam, and the forbidding of the depiction of the prophet Muhammad, there was little representational art in Islam. Most of their artwork was centered on pattern and design. For this reason, the Muslim world had very little visual record of their history, including the people and the cities that existed prior to modern photography. Today, still, the best visual record of exotic cities like Cairo or Damascus, prior to the advent of modern photography, exists in 19th century paintings by Europeans and Americans. In the mid to late 19th century, painters from every country in Europe and from across the oceans in America, came to the East."Cite this Research Paper:
APA Format
History of Orientalism (2006, July 31)
Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/research-paper/history-of-orientalism-68105/
MLA Format
"History of Orientalism" 31 July 2006.
Web. 25 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/research-paper/history-of-orientalism-68105/>