Portret van Josef de Mendoza y Ríos

This is a portrait of Josef de Mendoza y Rios, made by Konrad Westermayr. Though undated, it likely originates from the late 18th or early 19th century, a time of immense social and political upheaval. The image shows a man of status, a captain in the Spanish Navy and member of scientific societies in London and Lisbon. Yet, what does it mean to be a man of science, an explorer, during an age of empire? Mendoza's story is interwoven with the threads of colonialism, as scientific exploration was often a tool of imperial expansion. His identity as a Spanish captain places him at the intersection of power, knowledge, and the subjugation of other cultures. Consider how such portraits, rendered in the cool detachment of engraving, normalize a particular vision of masculinity and authority, obscuring the complex human stories behind the march of history. What do you feel when you look at this man?