More (much more) about Rayan Yasmineh, and a little exhibition in Paris
In May, I went to the Louvre Lens to see an exhibition called Par-delà les Mille et Une Nuits. Histoires des orientalismes . I was interested in the subject-matter, but in the event was disappointed by the show, which is why I didn't make a whole post about it. As with the V&A's Epic Iran , perhaps, the organisers had bitten off more than could easily be chewed in a single event. Par-delà les Mille et Une Nuits of course displayed numerous exciting artefacts, including some truly magnificent Kashan carpets from the 16th century. But as it could only skim the surface of each iteration of orientalism (or orientalisms, plural, as the curators would have it), came over rather as Orientalism for Dummies , supposing such a book should ever be published, or, at any rate, to seem less unkind, orientalism for beginners. Numerous school parties were indeed there. I was drawn to Lens (two hours north of Paris by car) in particular by a new painting, commissioned by the Louvre for th...