Odalisque - Definition and Overview

An odalisque was a female slave or concubine in the harem of the Turkish sultan. The origin of the word appears to be French, from the Turkish odaliq, meaning a chambermaid, from oda, a chamber or room. The word is also written as odahlic, odalisk, and odalik.

The word has also been used loosely to mean a mistress, concubine or paramour of a wealthy man.

The odalisque was a common 19th century Western fantasy figure in the artistic movement known as Orientalism, and features in many erotic paintings from that era.

See also

• Ottoman Empire

External links

• Some paintings of odalisques (http://www.orientalist-art.org.uk/odalisque.html)