"Films such as D. W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916), Ben Hur (1926), and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956), and Cleopatra (1934) were influenced by Alma-Tadema's work. Jessie J. Laskey, co-writer on De Mille's The Ten Commandments has described how the producer would customarily spread out prints of Alma-Tadema paintings to indicate to his set designers the look he wanted to achieve." Interesting story behind the art! Thanks Noor, I learned something new:-)
Also because this was the age of victorian false modesty, this sort of art was the soft porn of the time because SO much of the clothing on these lovely ladies was semi opaque and showed the soft lines of their flesh.
I do not know if the artists intended this, but it was how many looked at it. There is another favourite of mine, Gerome who did a LOT of slave sales and harem ladies..... But he also truly captured Muslim life on an every day basis... I plan to put up his stuff too... his Cairo and Constantinople art is exquisite.
"Films such as D. W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916), Ben Hur (1926), and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956), and Cleopatra (1934) were influenced by Alma-Tadema's work. Jessie J. Laskey, co-writer on De Mille's The Ten Commandments has described how the producer would customarily spread out prints of Alma-Tadema paintings to indicate to his set designers the look he wanted to achieve."
ReplyDeleteInteresting story behind the art! Thanks Noor, I learned something new:-)
Also because this was the age of victorian false modesty, this sort of art was the soft porn of the time because SO much of the clothing on these lovely ladies was semi opaque and showed the soft lines of their flesh.
ReplyDeleteI do not know if the artists intended this, but it was how many looked at it. There is another favourite of mine, Gerome who did a LOT of slave sales and harem ladies..... But he also truly captured Muslim life on an every day basis... I plan to put up his stuff too... his Cairo and Constantinople art is exquisite.