Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sensing-odalisque-in-person-tickets-735788572427

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Maite Gomez-Rejon (ArtBites) and Saskia Wilson-Brown (Institute for Art and Olfaction) join forces on the third edition of their Sensing series. In this edition, we will use our senses to explore two vital but challenging artworks on display at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

In Sensing: Odalisque, we will examine two paintings at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

Woman in a Moorish Costume (1869) by Jean-Frédéric Bazille (French, 1841-1870)

Women of Algiers, Version “I” (1955) by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973)

Connecting the two works to the broader cultural context in which they were made, Maite and Saskia will share their research into the trade, the history and the material culture informing the paintings, bringing a greater depth of understanding and appreciation to these masterful works. As a group, we will also explore the context for the odalisque form, bringing a contemporary critical lens to the problematic construct in which these were painted.

Session breakdown:

1:00pm – 1:45pm: Attendees will assemble at Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena), where Maite and Saskia will lead a viewing and discussion of the two works.

2:30pm – 4:30pm: The group will reconvene at the Institute for Art and Olfaction (Chinatown, Los Angeles) for a multi-sensorial session that incorporates all the senses. Attendees will experience the aromatics, the flavors and the textures represented (or implied) in the paintings, before participating in the construction of a bespoke cocktail. Drinks in hand, we will spend the rest of our time together composing our individual scent interpretations.

Everyone leaves with a small spray bottle of their own perfume, and a greater appreciation for how the senses can enliven art history.