The Harem (1876)

John Frederick Lewis is the artist behind "The Harem", dated 1876. Context for 1876: In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do. Figurative, a short history: Figurative art depicts people and recognisable scenes, and it has been central to European painting since antiquity. Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. It is listed in the Figurative collection. The image is in landscape orientation.

On onlly.art "The Harem" is sold as a digital download (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI). The files are delivered by email after payment, so nothing is shipped: you print locally, choosing the paper, size, and frame yourself. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. Before printing, compare the proportions of the file with your frame so that nothing important is cropped. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

English, 1805–1876

If you like the visual language of John Frederick Lewis, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.