Artwork
The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie)
The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie) is an oil painting by the Orientalist artist Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. It dates from 1888 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work, titled The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie) and painted by Jean‑Joseph Benjamin‑Constant in 1888, portrays a nude woman accompanied by a shield, a composition that situates the figure within the Orientalist genre. The presence of the shield and the exoticized, semi‑clothed female form align with typical iconography of the period, suggesting a stylized vision of Eastern femininity as both alluring and mysterious. As an Orientalist painting, the piece reflects 19th‑century European fantasies of the Near East, using the subject to evoke notions of exoticism and colonial gaze.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on canvas, The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie) is a relatively modest-scale work measuring 31.
Executed in oil paint on canvas, The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie) is a relatively modest-scale work measuring 31.1 by 39.4 centimeters. The painting belongs to the Orientalist movement, in which Benjamin-Constant was active, and its composition is built around figural subjects including a nude woman and a shield. The use of oil on canvas is consistent with the academic easel-painting tradition of late nineteenth-century French Orientalism, supporting the smooth blending and detailed rendering of flesh tones and textiles that the genre typically demanded.
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No source addresses its present condition or specific handling history.
History & Provenance
The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie) is an oil on canvas painting executed by Jean‑Joseph Benjamin‑Constant in 1888. The work measures 31.1 × 39.4 cm and belongs to the Orientalist movement, depicting a nude woman alongside a shield. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings and remains a noted example of the artist's contribution to the Orientalist movement.
No specific inventory or accession number, additional ownership records, or exhibition history are documented in the sources consulted.
Overview
Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant, a French painter recognized for his Orientalist works, created The Serbian Concubine (Un Envoi de Serbie) in 1888. This oil painting presents a scene within a richly adorned interior, characteristic of the Orientalist movement's fascination with North Africa and the Middle East. The artwork is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering a glimpse into late 19th-century European artistic trends.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (also known as Benjamin-Constant), born Jean-Joseph Constant (10 June 1845 – 26 May 1902), was a French painter and etcher best known for his Oriental subjects and portraits.
