Southern Fair 

Jean-François Portaels created ‘Southern Fair’, using oil on canvas, to depict a young woman adorned in what was perceived as southern finery. Portaels was a master of Orientalism, a 19th-century Western art movement that exoticized the Middle East and North Africa. Here, the woman's elaborate jewelry, bright clothing, and peacock feather create a picture of opulence and mystery. This fantasy was fuelled by colonial expansion and a desire for the ‘exotic’. It's important to remember that Portaels, a Belgian artist who was the director of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, likely never experienced the cultures he depicted firsthand, creating an idealized and often inaccurate portrayal. This image is as much a product of European desires as it is a reflection of any reality. To fully understand this work, we must delve into the history of Orientalism, studying travelogues, colonial records, and the art market of the time. Only then can we grasp the complex interplay between art, power, and cultural representation.