Sarkeh, Ahmedabad, Indi 

Edwin Lord Weeks painted Sarkeh, Ahmedabad, India, in oil on canvas. The artwork illustrates a building complex on the bank of a pool. The reflections are rendered with thick brushstrokes that show the influence of impressionism. Weeks was an American artist who traveled widely in the Middle East and India, then under British rule, to paint orientalist scenes. Orientalism captured the Western fantasy of the East as exotic. However, we must consider the politics of imagery. Orientalist art tended to reinforce stereotypes and often served to justify colonial domination. It is important to ask whether it reinforces existing social norms, or critiques the institutions of art. Understanding the context in which art is made requires research. Looking at historical documents such as travel writing, colonial records, and the artist's own biographies can offer further insights. Art is contingent on social and institutional context.