Pharaoh's Handmaidens

"Pharaoh's Handmaidens" is an 1883 oil painting by British artist John Collier that depicts three young women serving an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh. The work blendsnude art elements with orientalism, reflecting prevalent academic art trends of the period. While it can be appreciated as a form of genre painting capturing exotic themes, critics from The Architect considered it ethnographically accurate yet lacking in overall refinement and appeal. The painting embodies characteristics of Romanticism, emphasizing vivid, emotional portrayals of distant cultures, and was showcased at the rival of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, the Grosvenor Gallery in London.