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Curatorial notes
The term "Odalisque" is defined as a female slave who worked as an assistant or apprentice to the concubines and wives of the Sultan during the Ottoman period. Generally they were part of the Imperial Harem and could become a concubine or wife, if they bore a son, later on. The term has become more general over the years and is used for the mistress of the wealthy man. The exotic allure made them favourite subjects for art and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), Jules Joseph Lefebvre (1836-1911) and other Orientalist artists included them in their artworks. |
