(from 'exotic') is a trend in art
, influenced by some ethnic groups or civilizations since the late 19th-century. In music
exoticism is a genre in which the rhythms, melodies, or instrumentation are designed to evoke the atmosphere of far-off lands or ancient times (e.g. Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé
and Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra
, Debussy's Syrinx for Flute Solo
or Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol
). Like orientalist subjects in 19th century painting, exoticism in the decorative arts and interior decoration was associated with fantasies of opulence.
Exoticism, by definition, is "the charm of the unfamiliar." Scholar Alden Jones defines exoticism in art and literature as the representation of one culture for consumption by another. An archetypical example is the artist and writer Paul Gauguin and his representations of Tahitian people and landscapes for a French audience.