Tomas Björk, Stockholm University

The purpose of the project Bilden av Orienten - exotism i 1800-talets svenska bildvärld has been to study how visual representations during the nineteenth century have contributed to a Swedish public's perception of people and environment in "the Orient". The concept "the Orient", which has an origin in imperialism, is used to describe what is to-day Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. The starting-point is constructivist, which means that visual representations are not treated as if they were "true". Instead, they are active components in a contemporary construction of the concept "the Orient". Post-colonial theory is another starting-point. According to this theory, there exists an unequal power-relation between the Western countries and the Orient as a result of colonialism and imperialism. "The Orient" is subordinated to Europe, which was able to strengthen itself by this subordination. In the project there is also a discussion whether people in Sweden embrace the same imperialistic attitudes as people in the rest of Europe, although Sweden's colonial possessions had been modest.

The text is divided into three parts. First, Swedish artists who have traveled in the Orient are studied. In addition to paintings and drawings from their journeys, letters, diaries and travel books have been used in order to understand how the travelers have perceived "the Orient". In the second part, observers in Sweden have been studied. Works on art and reproductions of pictures in newspapers, magazines and books have also been used, as well as texts commenting upon these pictures and influencing the perception of their meaning. In the third part, three-dimensional phenomena are studied. Architecture, interior decoration, exhibitions, diplomatic visits, conferences and waxworks museums are included.

The study shows that around twenty Swedish artists have visited the region during the nineteenth century. Almost all of them were men. In the beginning of the century, they were diplomats who described what they saw in drawings and water-colors. From the middle of the century, an increasing number of artists made the journey to the region. Improved communications towards the end of the century made it easier for various social groups to visit the countries in question. A female member of the Swedish royal family visited Egypt, where she took many photographs which were later published. Many Swedish travelers described the Orient in negative terms, but some contrasting views have also been expressed. One Swedish traveler became a convert to Islam, and some travelers appreciated the state of things in the Orient in positive contrast to the growing modernity in Sweden.

Among phenomena interesting Swedish artists, one can note antique monuments, Christian and Muslim holy places, religious ceremonies, slave trade, veiled women and social life in general. Well-known stereotypes are often used in descriptions of the Orient as being exotic and strange. The Arab woman can at the same time be described as unapproachable and licentious. Islam is characterized as a fanatic and anti-western religion. The environment is dirty, people are ignorant and the society is underdeveloped. Many travelers made comparisons with the state of things in Sweden. In comparison to conditions in Sweden almost everything in the Orient is regarded as inferior. Some descriptions must have been based on prejudices or fantasies.

The pictures of "the Orient" that Swedish observers could study in books and newspapers were rather widespread. At the beginning of the century wood-cuts dominated but later photographs also became common. Since photographic descriptions during the nineteenth century were regarded by many people as expressions of the "truth", the first published photographs from Mecca must have aroused great interest. The texts commenting upon these pictures often served to strengthen prejudices. Even quite neutral pictures could inspire imperialistic and racist arguments from the editors.

The building of the Suez canal was closely monitored by the Swedish press and was regarded as an example of how modernity also could reach "the Orient". However, the canal was seen as a result of European efforts. In the many pictures from the work of construction, the "natives" were reduced to "accessories".

Portraits of sultans were frequent in the Swedish press. When a new sultan was appointed, he was introduced with a picture and a text. In many pictures his dress was a mark of his otherness. Sometimes, the sultan was presented in western dress. In the text the reader is given a detailed description of his life and political achievements. Those sultans who have been influenced by western viewpoints were always praised, while those who stressed local culture were criticized. Sultans who had turned from a western ideology to more locally inspired ideas, were dealt with in a particularly negative way.

Pictures of thinly dressed "oriental" women were regular contributions to Swedish newspapers. Veils were often used to make the women look exotic but also to increase the erotic temperature. Pictures from daily life showed schools, barber's shops, cemeteries, baths and harems. Some of these pictures were more or less based on neutral observation, while some must be regarded as pure fantasies. Many of the famous antique monuments in the region were shown in the Swedish press. In the texts they were shown as proofs of a lost culture, contrasting with a contemporary lower civilization.

In the last part of the investigation, it is noted that oriental forms were present in Swedish architecture and interior decoration. Visiting diplomats from oriental countries, appearing in native dress, could be seen in the streets of Stockholm. During the international exhibition in Stockholm in 1897 a special pavilion had been built, where an oriental horseman, surrounded by antique goods, could be seen. While the exhibition in general was devoted to progress in science and art, the visitors of that pavilion could meet a culture that had long since disappeared.

As a summary, it can certainly be stated that many of the prejudices spread in Sweden to-day have had one important starting-point in visual culture of the nineteenth century. Although Sweden did not belong to the leading colonial powers, it is obvious that many Swedes shared what may be called an imperialistic view towards countries outside Europe. The author hopes that this study will be published in the form of a book.