While the young academic painter Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904) had been lauded for scenes drawn from history and mythology, it was not until an 1852 visit to Egypt that he began experimenting with the artistic style for which he is now known—Orientalism. This landmark exhibition in Qatar interrogates Gérôme’s legacy, highlighting his technique while also challenging Orientalist thinking. Another distinct section of the exhibition is centered around themes of objectivity, authenticity, and imagination; it features photographs of the Middle East in the 19th century. The final portion of the exhibition showcases modern and contemporary art engaged in the complicated work of both reckoning with and reconstructing outdated ideology. —Nyla Gilstrap