Student Artwork Guide — the metalsmiths shop

Name Class Date

Edwin Lord Weeks, the metalsmiths shop. Public domain.

The facts

Artist: Edwin Lord Weeks artsdot.com/en/artists/edwin-lord-weeks/
Artist’s dates: 1849 – 1903
Movement: Orientalism European pictures of North Africa and West Asia — often imagined rather than observed, and worth questioning.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Edwin Lord Weeks died in 1903; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1973.

the metalsmiths shop — Edwin Lord Weeks

When might this have been painted?

1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900

Shaded: the lifetime of Edwin Lord Weeks (1849–1903)

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

An Indian Hunting Party, 1899 artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-an-indian-hunting-party-8BWPEH-en/
Elephants and Figures in a Courtyard, Fort Agra, 1890 artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-elephants-and-figures-in-a-courtyard-fort-agra-8BWPEX-en/
Rahaj Starting on a Hunt artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-rahaj-starting-on-a-hunt-8YDQKH-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Espresso #583d2f

Catalogued palette

#583D2F
#9B7D54
#D1BC96
#1C0D10

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Espresso
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Artist

Edwin Lord Weeks

Born in Boston, United States of America

a life of artistic exploration

edwin lord weeks, an american artist, left an indelible mark on the art world with his captivating works. born in 1849 in boston, massachusetts, weeks' life was a testament to his family's affluence, which enabled him to pursue his passion for painting and traveling.

early years and artistic development

as a young man, weeks visited the florida keys to draw, further solidifying his artistic foundation. his earliest known paintings date from 1867, when he was eighteen years old. notably, it wasn't until his landscape with blue heron, dated 1871 and painted in the everglades, that weeks began to exhibit a dexterity of technique and eye for composition.

parisian sojourn and orientalist subjects

in 1872, weeks relocated to paris, becoming a pupil of léon bonnat and jean-léon gérôme. this marked the beginning of his emergence as one of america's major painters of orientalist subjects. throughout his adult life, he was an inveterate traveler, journeying to south america (1869), egypt and persia (1870), morocco (frequently between 1872 and 1878), and india (1882–83).

notable works and publications

some of weeks' most notable works include:

a maratha, leaving for hunting from gwalior fort

maratha king of gwalior at his palace

an open-air restaurant near wazir khan mosque, lahore

royal elephant at the gateway to the jama masjid, mathura

in 1895, weeks wrote and illustrated a book of travels, from the black sea through persia and india, followed by episodes of mountaineering in 1897.

awards and legacy

weeks earned numerous accolades, including a medal of honor in 1884, a third class medal in 1889, a gold medal at the 1889 international exhibition, and the legion of honor in 1896. he was also a member of the légion d'honneur, france, an officer of the order of saint michael (bavaria), and a member of the munich secession. view edwin lord weeks' artworks on AllPaintingsStore: [https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/edwinlordweeks](https://AllPaintingsStore.com/@/edwinlordweeks) explore more about orientalist subjects on AllPaintingsStore: /en/art/list/

Where to read more

The artist Edwin Lord Weeks artsdot.com/en/artists/edwin-lord-weeks/
Similar works More works to compare artsdot.com/en/art/similar/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/
Article The Allure of Authenticity: Hand-Painted Reproductions as Investments in Texture, Depth & Artisanal Value artsdot.com/en/articles/the-allure-of-authenticity-hand-painted-reproductions-as-investments-in-texture-depth-artisanal-value-en/
Article Orientalism: Exploring the Exotic Allure and Complex Legacy of 19th-Century Masterpieces artsdot.com/en/articles/mfp-misc-orientalism-exploring-the-exotic-allure-and-complex-legacy-of-19th-century-masterpieces-en/
Article Sir Edwin Landseer: Sentiment, Society & the Victorian Animalier Tradition artsdot.com/en/articles/sir-edwin-landseer-sentiment-society-the-victorian-animalier-tradition-en/
Article Orientalist Art Unveiled: The Breathtaking Color and Intense Detail of 19th-Century Masterpieces artsdot.com/en/articles/bpa-misc-orientalist-art-unveiled-the-breathtaking-color-and-intense-detail-of-19th-century-masterpieces-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for the metalsmiths shop

artsdot.com/en/art/download/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Weeks, Edwin Lord. the metalsmiths shop. n.d., https://artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/
APA: Weeks, Edwin Lord (n.d.). the metalsmiths shop [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/
Chicago: Edwin Lord Weeks. the metalsmiths shop. n.d. https://artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/
Harvard: Weeks, Edwin Lord (n.d.) the metalsmiths shop. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/edwin-lord-weeks-the-metalsmiths-shop-9GEJS2-en/

the metalsmiths shop — Edwin Lord Weeks

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Our catalogue files this work under: indian artisans, metalwork scene, middle eastern culture. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
Look back at An Indian Hunting Party (1899), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Orientalism: European pictures of North Africa and West Asia — often imagined rather than observed, and worth questioning. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.