Gezicht op een rookruimte in het hotel van De Ro in Brussel, België before 1898

Editor: This print, "Gezicht op een rookruimte in het hotel van De Ro in Brussel, België," predates 1898, and the artist is G. Choppinet. It depicts a smoking room; there's something very serene and staged about it. What stands out to you? Curator: I immediately see the layered social commentary embedded within this genre painting. "Orientalism" isn't just a stylistic choice; it reflects Europe's fascination with and appropriation of Eastern cultures during this era. It speaks volumes about power dynamics and exoticism. Considering the location, in Brussels, and that smoking was a very gendered activity at this time, what can you deduce from this intersectionality? Editor: I guess it says something about exclusive spaces for men and a particular image of luxury and worldliness that the upper class wanted to project. Curator: Precisely! How do we reconcile the romantic portrayal with the reality of colonial exploitation that enabled such spaces and indulgences? Consider the availability of tobacco. Editor: Right, this seemingly calm scene hints at a much wider and more complex global system. Is there a deliberate sense of excluding female audiences from a leisured space? Curator: Indeed, a vital point. The very concept of the 'smoking room' becomes a loaded symbol, doesn't it? It’s not just about aesthetics but societal norms and power structures. The choice of "orientalism" might signal the masculinity attached to notions of travelling to, conquering, and bringing home exotic cultural knowledge. Editor: I see it so differently now. What started as a serene picture seems filled with statements on social position. Curator: Absolutely! Art constantly dialogues with its historical moment. By dissecting it, we understand ourselves and the world around us a little better.