Orientalism and Oriental collections in three French national museums

This project focuses on Orientalist exhibitions of art and cultural artifacts from the Arabo-Islamic world in three French museums in Paris (the Louvre, the Musee du Quai Branly, and the Cite Nationale de l'Histoire de l'Immigration) in order to assess the extent to which a greater French identity is impacted by its interactions with the Other. Museums are an important part of France's history as a nation, and the history and growth of the French national museum network and its collections are a testament to the history and growth of the state. France's history and relationship with the Arabo-Islamic world, the "Orient," is also a longstanding cornerstone of French identity. The prominence of Arabo-Islamic art and culture in French museums and the ways in which museums have studied and curated these works establish the important role of Orientalist exhibitions in French museums and the Orient in French history.