Interior of the Mosque at Cordoba 1880

Editor: So this is Edwin Lord Weeks' "Interior of the Mosque at Cordoba," painted in 1880, with oil paints. The ornate architecture really grabs you, doesn’t it? What exactly are we seeing in this artwork? Curator: Let’s consider this not just as a representation, but as a constructed image deeply embedded in the Orientalist project. How do you think the very *process* of its creation – the selection of materials, the commissioning (or lack thereof) – speaks to the relationship between Europe and the East at that time? Editor: Well, I guess using oil paint, a distinctly European medium, to depict this mosque seems… intentional. Is that what you mean? Almost like claiming the space through the act of painting? Curator: Precisely! And consider the labor involved: Weeks traveled to Cordoba, made studies, and then executed the final painting. That entire process—the travel, the sketching, the painting, then transporting and selling—reflects the flow of resources and the unequal power dynamics. Think about who the consumers of these images were, and what fantasies they satisfied. What was the price tag, and who profited the most? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn’t considered the economic side of Orientalism like that. Curator: It moves beyond simply depicting a place. The canvas itself becomes a commodity. But think even further about the pigments: Where did Weeks source the paint? Who mixed it, who stretched the canvas? Editor: So, it’s not just about what the painting shows, but also about the systems of labor and exchange behind it? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the work done to obtain resources and make these artworks a vehicle for wealth. These resources and actions helped form power structures that are still impactful today. Editor: Wow, I'm never going to look at an Orientalist painting the same way again. It’s so much more than just the image. Curator: Exactly! It's about understanding art as a product of complex material conditions.