You Never Know What Might Change Your Life

Art historian Frederica Todd Harlow has written an illuminating article on French decorative artist Theodore Deck (italics mine):

In the mid-19th century, Europe's artistic and fashionable circles were enthralled by a vogue for all that was Oriental. Visitors to London Galleries and Paris salon exhibitions became familiar with Middle Eastern desert and village life, with Arab, Persian and Turkish costume and decorative arts as they were recorded - or sometimes imagined - on canvas or in watercolor by European artist-travelers. De rigueur for Victorian ladies were the sumptuous, colorfully patterned paisley shawls, while loose, cool pajamas, as worn in the Islamic world, were adopted into the well-dressed European male's wardrobe. European homes featured the new "divan" associated with life à l'orientale - furniture that invited lounging and relaxation - and the Turkish bath was introduced to Paris...Against this backdrop, the acquisition of a single brilliantly colored Islamic tile prompted French ceramist Joseph-Théodore Deck to explore and revive Middle Eastern ceramic techniques in the creation of his own unique art.

The piece, from the excellent publication Ceramics Today, offers a fascinating glimpse into the artistic development of modern ceramics in Europe, and France, particularly, and the important role played by the revival of historical motifs.

Related from the LL archives: Cloak and Dazzle.