Orientalism is the application of Eastern cultures by people in the Western world. The three main areas of study are characterized as writers, artists and designers.
Many major writers have produced a number of written works that refer to the Orient. Gustave Flaubert used the Orient as an example of danger and intrigue in his novel Salammbo. The novel looked at the morally corrupt and the eroticism that is sometimes associated with the East.
The East has inspired artists in the West since the 18th century, and their travels to North Africa and Western Asia influenced their work. Examples of this influence can be found in Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art, and in some paintings, European figures were painted wearing Eastern clothing. The leading painters in the 18th century were Vittore Carpaccio, Gentile Bellini and Jean-Etinne Liotard. Liotard had visited Istanbul, Turkey, and painted various scenes and upon his return to Europe, he actually not only continued to paint with an Eastern slant but he also continued to dress in Eastern style clothing.
The trend for painting Eastern styles continued into the 19th and 20th centuries, and this is evident in the work of John Frederick Lewis, who painted realistic scenes of Middle Eastern life. His work was said to have influenced later artists such as Gerome, to produce similar pieces of work at a later date.
Designers have copied the Chinese ceramics of the 18th century with varying degrees of success. The palaces of the Chinese were also imitated in Germany and Spain during the 18th century. Colonial governments were also influenced by architecture in the Orient, and copied the styles of Egyptian architecture when erecting new buildings. Buildings such as Leighton House were influenced by the elaborate interiors of Oriental buildings.
