Leaving The Mosque 

Rudolf Ernst painted "Leaving the Mosque" with oil on canvas. The real craft here lies not in the basic skill of painting, but in its incredible level of detail, which allows us to infer much about the world depicted. The three men featured in the painting each wear different textiles, each indicating a particular status. Note the embroidery and gilded elements, signs of wealth. The architectural setting is equally elaborate, patterned with intricate geometries. Consider the labor needed to produce just one of the tiles adorning the walls. The level of work and the quality of the materials involved speak to a culture of high craftsmanship. Yet, the painting itself must also be understood as a commodity. Ernst made his career by producing such scenes for European consumption, reinforcing fantasies about the orient. This points to a troubling dynamic, the appropriation of other cultures, and their translation into marketable images. Ernst’s painting reveals the complex relationship between art, labor, and the marketplace.