Pair of tondos; Vienna, late 19th century

Pair of tondos; Vienna, late 19th century
Polychrome terracotta
Some faults
Measurements: 48 x 42 x 3 cm.

Pair of orientalist tondos in polychrome terracotta representing urban and interior scenes. Using also the mediorelief, the pair of tondos speak to us about the interpretations that were made in the old continent on the far east.

Orientalism in the 19th century was a cultural movement that reflected the European fascination with the lands and customs of the Orient, especially North Africa, the Middle East and some regions of Asia. It arose in a context of colonial expansion that aroused curiosity for the exotic, as opposed to Western traditions. In art, it was expressed in representations full of luxury and sensuality, set in palaces or bazaars, which rarely responded to reality, but rather to the European fantasy about the Orient.