Lena Rivera
The Snake Charmer is an oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme produced around 1879. It depicts a naked boy standing in the centre of a room with blue-tiled walls, holding a python that coils around his waist and over his shoulder. An older man sits to his right playing a fipple flute, watched by armed men from various Islamic tribes. The painting has been interpreted as a reflection of 19th-century European colonial politics, perpetuating the othering of non-Western cultures. It gained notoriety when it was used as the cover art for Edward Said's book Orientalism, exemplifying the Western fantasy of the Orient and the reduction of humanity that comes with it. The painting's function, therefore, is a reflection of the artist's worldview and the societal attitudes of the time, open to interpretation and critique.
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The Snake Charmer by Jean-Léon Gérôme
Jean-Léon Gérôme's "The Snake Charmer" is a 19th-century orientalist painting that depicts a group of men sitting on the ground, watching a nude snake charmer draped with a slithering python. The painting is known for its exotic and fantastical portrayal of the East, with glittering Islamic tiles shimmering in the background, creating a sleazy imperialist vision.
The painting has been described as an "obviously pernicious and exploitative western fantasy of 'the Orient'", perpetuating a reduction of the humanity of Middle Eastern societies through its titillating voyeurism. This analysis aligns with Edward Said's influential work, "Orientalism," which examines how European "experts" in the 19th century described and imagined Middle Eastern cultures in ways that delighted the Western imagination while objectifying and exoticizing the East.
In "The Snake Charmer," Gérôme presents a scene that caters to Western fantasies and stereotypes of the Orient, with the nude snake charmer and the phallic python symbolizing sexualized and exploitative imagery. The beautiful tiles in the background, while a testament to older and finer cultures, are often seen through the lens of Western orientalism, where they are claimed as objects of admiration and knowledge by outsiders.
The painting has been exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, included in the exhibition "From Paris: A Taste for Impressionism." "The Snake Charmer" offers a critical glimpse into the orientalist fantasies prevalent in 19th-century French art, inviting viewers to reflect on the power dynamics and biases inherent in Western depictions of Eastern cultures.
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The painting's use as a cover for Edward Said's book Orientalism
The Snake Charmer, an oil-on-canvas painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme produced around 1879, was used as the cover art for Edward Said's 1978 book, Orientalism. The painting depicts a naked boy standing in the centre of a room with blue-tiled walls, facing away from the viewer, holding a python that coils around his waist and over his shoulder. An older man sits to his right, playing a fipple flute. The performance is watched by a group of men from various Islamic tribes, dressed in different clothes and carrying different weapons.
The painting's use as the cover for Orientalism is significant because it illustrates the book's themes and arguments. In Orientalism, Said analyses how Middle Eastern societies were described by European "experts" in the 19th century in ways that perpetuated orientalist stereotypes and reduced the humanity of those being described. The Snake Charmer, with its depiction of a "fruity fantasy" of "the east", exemplifies this dynamic. The painting's seemingly photorealistic quality, as noted by Linda Nochlin, presents an unrealistic scene as if it were a true representation of the east.
The painting's inclusion on the cover of Orientalism has also been interpreted as a commentary on the voyeuristic nature of orientalism. The audience within the painting, slumped and blamed for their titillated voyeurism, reflects the western audience consuming Said's book and the larger orientalist discourse. The beautiful tiles behind the audience have been interpreted as symbols of older and finer cultures that western orientalists claimed to know and love better than the locals.
The Snake Charmer's use as the cover for Orientalism has also sparked discussions about the painting's artistic value and its place within the canon of orientalist art. The painting's notoriety and criticism as a "sleazy imperialist vision" of "the east" have contributed to its status as a lightning rod for criticism of orientalism. The painting's use on the book's cover thus extends beyond mere illustration to become a critical part of the conversation about orientalism and its representations.
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The painting's interpretation as a reflection of colonial politics
Jean-Léon Gérôme's oil-on-canvas painting "The Snake Charmer" has been interpreted as a reflection of colonial politics. The painting, produced around 1879, depicts a nude boy standing in the centre of a room with blue-tiled walls, holding a python that coils around his waist and over his shoulder. An older man sits to his right, playing a flute, while a group of armed men from various Islamic tribes watch the performance.
The painting has been criticised as a "sleazy imperialist vision of 'the east'". Art critic Jonathan Jones describes the painting as an "obviously pernicious and exploitative western fantasy of 'the Orient'". The painting's use of Islamic tiles, the nudity of the snake charmer, and the depiction of the voyeuristic audience have been interpreted as reducing the humanity of Middle Eastern societies while titillating Western imaginations.
The setting of the painting has been described as a conflation of Ottoman Turkey and Egypt, with the artist combining disparate and incompatible elements to create a fictional space. The assembled men, with their varied clothing and weapons, reflect European prejudices about the Islamic world and position the depicted figures as racially, ethnically, and nationally "other" to Western viewers.
The painting's display at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, alongside famous "Oriental" pavilions, further emphasises its role in shaping and reflecting European colonial perspectives. Gérôme's work has become a symbol of Orientalist art, influencing how Western audiences perceive Middle Eastern cultures.
While some critics focus on the painting's negative portrayal of the East, others argue that it offers a sophisticated commentary on the market for Orientalist scenes. Gérôme's work can be interpreted as an allegory of its own reception, inviting viewers to question their role as spectators and the power dynamics inherent in colonial contexts.
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The Snake Charmer by Henri Rousseau
Henri Rousseau's "The Snake Charmer" (French: "La Charmeuse de Serpents") is a 1907 oil-on-canvas painting. It depicts a woman with glowing eyes playing a flute in the moonlight by the edge of a dark jungle, with a snake extending toward her from a nearby tree. This painting was Rousseau's first large commission and was exhibited in the 1907 Autumn Salon. It is currently housed in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France.
Rousseau, a self-taught artist who began painting later in life, travelled very little. Most of his jungle scenes were inspired by visits to the Jardin des plantes and the botanical gardens in Paris. His unique style blends bright, dense colours with precise, naïve drawing and innovative vertical compositions. In "The Snake Charmer," Rousseau presents a modern take on the biblical Eve, charming a snake in a disquieting Garden of Eden. The woman, with her glowing eyes, appears to transfix the wild nature surrounding her, creating a strange silence in the surreal night scene.
The painting has inspired other artists, including Sylvia Plath, whose 1957 poem "Snakecharmer" was influenced by Rousseau's work. Willard Elliot's 1975 musical composition, "The Snake Charmer" for Alto Flute and Orchestra, also drew inspiration from this painting. In popular culture, "The Snake Charmer" has been used as cover art for several novels, including Ann Rice's "Merrick" and Daniel Dennett's "Darwin's Dangerous Idea." Additionally, an Australian artist, Brett-Livingstone Strong, created a painting inspired by Rousseau's work, which was featured as the album cover for Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album "Tango in the Night."
The legacy of "The Snake Charmer" extends beyond its artistic influence. From 1992 to 1936, the painting was owned by Jacques Doucet and was promised to the Louvre in 1925, becoming part of its collection in 1937. Today, it continues to captivate viewers with its exotic subject matter, dream-like quality, and unique style, showcasing Rousseau's distinctive vision of the world.
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The painting's display at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair
The Snake Charmer, a painting by French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme, was loaned for display at the World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, in 1893. The fair was held in Jackson Park, Chicago, from 5 May to 30 October 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The fair also served to showcase Chicago's recovery from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which had destroyed much of the city.
The Snake Charmer depicts a naked boy standing on a small carpet in the centre of a room with blue-tiled walls. The boy, facing away from the viewer, holds a python coiled around his waist and over his shoulder. An older man sits to his right, playing a fipple flute, while a group of men watch the performance. The painting combines elements from different cultures, including Ottoman Turkey and Egypt, and snake charming, which was practised in ancient Egypt and continued to be seen there in the 19th century. The blue tiles in the painting were inspired by the Baghdad Kiosk of Seraglio in Ottoman-era Constantinople.
The painting has been described as an "exploitative western fantasy" of the East, perpetuating a particular European vision of life in the Islamic world. It has been criticised for reducing the humanity of Middle Eastern societies while indulging Western imagination. The painting's display at the Chicago World's Fair came at a time when Gérôme's work was falling out of favour with collectors. The fair, which drew over 27 million visitors, set a world record for outdoor event attendance on 9 October 1893, with 751,026 attendees.
The Snake Charmer was sold by Gérôme's dealer to US collector Albert Spencer in 1880 and changed hands several times before being loaned for exhibition at the 1893 World's Fair. After the fair, it was loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and later sold to Schaus Art Galleries in 1899. The painting has since been exhibited at various museums and was used as the cover art for Edward Said's influential 1978 book, Orientalism, which critiques Western stereotypes and fantasies of the East.
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Frequently asked questions
Jean-Léon Gérôme's painting "The Snake Charmer" is a product and reflection of 19th-century European colonial politics, presenting a Western fantasy of life in the Islamic world. The painting has been criticised for perpetuating Orientalist stereotypes and reducing the humanity of Middle Eastern societies.
"The Snake Charmer" depicts a fictional scene that combines elements of Ottoman Turkey and Egypt. The tiled wall in the painting was inspired by Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, while the stone floor resembles that of the mosque of Amr in Cairo.
The nudity of the snake charmer has been interpreted as a reference to the artist's skills in both painting and sculpture. It has also been suggested that the nudity was meant to obviate charges of fraud in the performance, as snake charming was not a part of Ottoman culture but was practised in ancient Egypt.
