The Young Eastern Woman (1838): Art, History and Details

The Young Eastern Woman (1838) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Friedrich Amerling (Austrian, 1803–1887).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Although the artist provocatively titled this painting Young Eastern Woman, it is obvious that the model is not Asian, but merely wears a Turkish costume. The rich fabrics and glowing light create an exotic atmosphere, revealing a Western fascination with "Oriental" images and themes.

Object facts

• Title: The Young Eastern Woman
• Date: 1838
• Creator attribution: Friedrich Amerling (Austrian, 1803–1887)
• Culture: Austria
• Type: Painting
• Technique: oil on fabric
• Dimensions: Framed: 106.5 x 90.5 x 9 cm (41 15/16 x 35 5/8 x 3 9/16 in.); Unframed: 88.5 x 71.5 cm (34 13/16 x 28 1/8 in.)
• Collection: Mod Euro - Painting 1800-1960
• Department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture
• Accession number: 1991.163

A detail from the museum

One can see in Amerling's sensitive and beautiful portrayal why he was well known and admired for his portraits.

Collection credit

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Galerie Sanct Lucas, invoice, March 1, 1992, in CMA curatorial file
• Galerie Sanct Lucas, invoice, March 1, 1992, in CMA curatorial file.
• Galerie Sanct Lucas, invoice, March 1, 1992, in CMA curatorial file.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.