Orientalist artwork embraced a range of genres and subjects, from historic and mythological works to nude figures and depictions of the interiors of various domestic and public spaces.
In 1893, the Society of French Oriental Artists was established with the goals of spreading Orientalist artwork and inspiring French artists to go to Eastern nations.
Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps was the most well-known Orientalist genre artist. At the 1831 Paris Salon, he presented seven Oriental paintings portraying everyday activities and scenes in the Middle East.
Photographers such as Félix Bonfils and Francis Firth started creating photographic postcards and souvenirs for Europeans visiting the Middle East in the 1860s.
Orientalist artworks were promoted by the Napoleonic state propaganda, and war depictions, generally representing valiant French troops and operations against Muslim armies, became fashionable.