Several interesting stories returned with travelers from French-occupied Northern Africa that detailed outlandish lives, which undoubtedly inspired Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ version of the odalisque—a sensual and erotically charged image that appealed to the viewer’s emotions. Grand Odalisque embodies unusual proportions, which include a small head atop an unusually elongated body, paired with an exotic head dress and a peacock feathered fan, intended to magnify a calculated suggestive aura. Ingres’ odalisque influenced newer generations of artists including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

Learn more about the work that inspired this pin HERE.