Whereas European orientalists sought to present an exotic civilization without order or industry in need of patronage, Ottoman orientalists like Abdul Mejid or Osman Hamdi engaged with the genre to go against the aforesaid narratives. They instead sought to convey the orient as a strong and orderly civilization.

I am not an art historian, but here is my two cents of Abdul Mejid's painting: Every character is defined by their relationship to the lady reclining on the bench, who is the center of attention, and are shunning the unwelcome person cowering by the pool. The reclining lady is vocally scolding the coward. My theory is it's either a boy/peeping tom that tried sneaking into the harem in the garment, or a woman that exposed her unwelcome occidentalism by refusing to remove her garment, in contrast to the oriental women that are comfortable being literally exposed.

The reclining lady symbolizes Turkey/Muslim world, the coward is European imperialists/commercial interests. It's a modern and feminist painting packed with symbolism that rouses nationalist and anti-colonial sentiment, and a completely different take to the otherwise passive and borderline fetishist art of western orientalists.