Museum of Orientalists

The Orientalist Collection of the State of Qatar is one of the most significant collections ever assembled in the world. The approximate 700 hundred paintings, water colours, drawings and prints, acquired over the last twenty years, trace Orientalism back to the early 18th century.

The paintings were collected by art lover Sheikh Hassan bin Mohammed Al Thani for 15 years, and he donated them in 2005.

Orientalist art can be simply defined as a Western style of art whose subject is the East. Western artists, fascination with the 'other world', the East, is expressed in paintings filled with colour and light. The grandiose landscapes, the antique ruins, the views of Islamic cities and the exotic scenes of everyday life reflect a characteristically European concept of the East. In Europe and also in America, a collective fascination with the East helped to make Orientalist painting a great success with the public during the whole of the 19th century.

Visitor Information : Open on appointment

Website : www.qma.com.qa