How to Hook your Audience with a Presentation on Orientalism in 19th Century Art

Writing guide
Posted on June 30, 2016

Art is definitely one of the most interesting topics to either discuss or write about and this is due to its subject matter and the creativity that goes into any art form. Therefore, join us in the the world of art as we proceed to discover orientalism and its effect on 19th century art while dropping tips and hints on how to write a captivating article about the artworks of a captivating era.

One Ring Rules Them All

Fans of Lord of the rings know that having an understanding of the master ring gives you knowledge a power over other rings. Also, a thorough understanding of the orients, what orientalism means is the ‘one ring’ needed to understand the West’s fascination with the East and how its culture had motivated an entire continents artistic force.

Therefore, before writing on orientalist art of the 19th century, it is advised that you seek knowledge on all things related to orientalism for this will aid your choice of a captivating topic and your writing style.

Sound out Topic Names

Once you become a guru in orientalism, the next step is trying out headlines that you believe would capture a reader’s attention. We advise taking a trip to a full length mirror and speaking out the topic names that spring to mind.  Topics like; Orientalist Art and 19th Century Romanticism. Eroticism, Oriental Women and 19th Century Art will definitely pop into your mind.

As for the less adventurous, an online search will provide you with the information you require on orientalism and 19th century art. You can also check our list for some inspiration.

Create a Checklist

The points, facts and statistics are quite much for the topic spans a hundred years. So it’s imperative that you create a personal list of interesting facts and figures to include in your presentation. These facts shouldn’t be the boring stuff about how orientalism took over Europe, started or who started it. Examples of the facts to focus on are the famous artist of the 19th century and their sources of, the painter’s fascination with both Eastern women and the harems etc.

If its a powerpoint presentation, then you can do no wrong by including some famous artworks by Jean-Louis Gerome, Delacroix and the big names of the 19th century as well as explain what their real influences were when painting these images. If well arranged, this should get a laugh or two from your audience.

Tell the True Story

Orientalism in 19th century art and the reason or influences behind these artworks will definitely spice up your presentation and would appeal to anyone who is interested in history. Therefore including the political, financial and propagandistic driving forces behind the orientalist art is a sure way to keep an audience interested in events that occurred 200 years ago. To top it off, you could draw parallels on how social media and mainstream media platforms of today can be used to sway public opinions while drawing parallels to orientalist art and the movements it inspired.

Drop the Mic

For the unhip crowd, dropping the mic is synonymous to signing out with a flourish. And for those who love to showboat or the feeling of reverence directed towards them, you should consider a mind-shattering conclusion that would leave your audience wanting more.

You could touch on sensitive topics like the objectification of women, racism and how it made exploitation morally right or how religion has played a role in subduing divergent cultures. You could also play devil’s advocate by discussing the need to either scrap orientalist art, change the way it is discussed in educational circles or why it is important for Europe to formally apologise to the people of the Orients. One of these conclusions will definitely raise some eyebrows and earn you more grade points.

Here is where we come to the end of today’s expose on how to write a presentation on Orientalism in 19th century art. I know you agree that these are cool points. So why not open your laptop and get started with your own presentation immediately? If you don’t know how to approach this intricate task still, then try checking additional material. Here you may find our 10 facts on orientalism in the 19th century for presentation as well as our 20 selected topics to give you a good outlook.

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