The ever-enjoyable Photino featured a wonderful harem illustration the other day, wondering whether anyone knew the source:
I spent an enjoyable half hour seeing if I could solve the riddle. I found one Google reference that appeared promising in an article entitled, “Slaves, Sex, and Ascetics in Rasdhan, ca. 1800-1857”, published by the Cambridge University Press in 2004:
The painting in question is ‘Flagellation in the Harem,’ which depicts a severe flogging being meted out to a female member of the household.
But despite my best endeavours, I failed to find further references to said artwork, and £10 seemed a lot to pay to download a copy on the off-chance.
Haron, though, came to the rescue, recognising it as a Photoshopped version of a painting by one of the Orientalist artists. We browsed and discovered “Les almées” by Pierre Louis Bouchard – owned by the Musee d’Orsay in Paris:
The modified version is, quite clearly, an improvement. But it does rather cry out for a caption. So here’s the game -your task is to imagine what the characters might be saying. For example, I reckon the girl wielding the rod might be commenting, “And now for the senior cane”. The punished girl might be thinking, “They say the strokes on the back hurt more.” Or the sultan might be ordering, “Give the girl next to me double.”
Fame and glory to the winner of the competition!
I don’t think it is really an improvement…it looks like a sleazy public lavatory for one thing. And that baggage leaning against the wall on the left needs a good slap.
What’s the thing that looks like a washtub?
I dunno – the girl getting whipped is nice, I grant you. But the interior decor is a poor effort! grumble grumble…
The picture reminds me of the pictures that appeared on a Website called something like “The Italian Spanking Art Site.” I don’t remember the URL. The site went moribund years ago and may no longer exist. The owner of the site photoshopped images of classic paintings, and the above image may very well be one of the images that appeared on the site.
I just adore the Orientalist harem pictures!
Hmmm, caption…
Shaykh Rajih reclines in his serraglio, ordering his First Wife, Ghusoon (trans. “Branches of a Tree”) to lay on again with the switch to his newest wife, Kifah (“Struggle”), who was suspected of meeting alone with a member of the Shaykh’s guards….
His wives, ‘Itab (“Censure”), Hadiyah (“Guide to righteousness”), Imtithal (“Polite obedience”), Ibtihal (“Supplication”), Tawbah (“Repentence”), Shukrah (“Thankfulness”), and Ghufran (“Forgiveness, pardon”) watch, glad it is not them. Hooda (“Right guidance”) signals the rhythm of the beating, while his new favourite, ‘Idhar (“Fluff”) caresses him….
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(Note: Rajih translates as “Having the Upper Hand”) [grins]
OMG Zille seems to have swallowed a copy of “1001 Nights” – someone call a medic…
Heh. I’ve just been practising my harem fantasies for some years, now!
The only thing I would change in that painting, would be a man wielding the pliable cane, to the naughty harem woman. That ‘Italian Spanking Art Blog’ had some fantastic paintings on display. Don’t you agree.?
I do not understand the criticism of “candycane”.
the furnishings are original to the original painting.
There was only a reversal of the mirror.
however now the site has been reborn as the Phoenix
is too small to be seen in this presentation, but women who have the whip hand, are two and they are dancing.