Production: Culturespaces Studio ® / Artistic Direction: Virginie Martin / Design and production: Cutback / Music supervision and mixing: Start Rec

📍 Route de Maillane, 13520 Les Baux-de-Provence

11 evenings from July 17 to December 27, 2025

July 17, 24 and 31 / August 7, 14, 21 and 28 / September 13 / October 4 and 11 / December 27

In the 19th century, the doors of the Orient opened to Western painters attracted by the mysteries of far off lands. Dazzled by the light of the far south, which reveals the topography of these arid landscapes and highlights the colours of the buildings’ spectacular motifs, Orientalists like Delacroix, Gérôme and Ingres, and other major names from European expressionism, now invite you to embark on a pictorial expedition to the new, exotic and bewitching world of the Orient of our dreams.

Delacroix’s travel diaries begin the tale, immersing you in an itinerary steeped in the play of light and shade, the scent of spice, the rhythm of oriental instruments and quick sketches of hitherto unseen lives. Then come other great names, such as Constant, Frère, Vernet, Gérôme, Guillaumet, Belly, Richter and Dinet, amongst others, creating what they hope will be a marvellous, luxurious backdrop for an inspiring elsewhere. They meander through the narrow streets of Oriental cities and souks, to slip inside shady interiors, to join the dance of the Oriental soul, and to stroll through the patios of sumptuous palaces. Accompany the artists on their peregrinations and experience the gruelling journey across a merciless desert, relieved only by the occasional pause at an oasis. Come across wild animals, the hunting of such creatures being a subject of choice for the Orientalists. And to finish, oriel windows, known as mashrabiya, offer a glimpse into the mysterious world of the harem. The steam of the hammam reveals bathers with impossible curves, and finally the curtain rises on Ingres’ Grande Odalisque, a dreamlike, idealised, Orientalist masterpiece. The dream comes to an end, and you awake from the fleeting mirage of an Orient as dreamt by the Orientalists, in the heart of the 19th-century Paris salon.

Included in your ticket

Enjoy a complete experience with a single ticket that gives you access to three exhibitions.

On 11 exceptional evenings, relive a unique experience with three of our iconic exhibitions: Cezanne, the Master of Provence, From Vermeer to Van Gogh, The Dutch Masters and The Orientalists. Ingres, Delacroix, Gérôme...