Soldaten, Oosterse personen en een hond 1633 - 1678

Jürgen Oven’s ink sketch titled ‘Soldiers, Oriental People and a Dog’ provides insight into 17th-century European perceptions of the ‘Orient’. Ovens, a German-born artist who spent much of his career in the service of the Danish court, would have been influenced by the prevalent Orientalism of his time—a Western fascination with and often misrepresentation of Eastern cultures. This sketch, with its grouping of figures labeled as ‘Oriental’, reflects a common European tendency to lump diverse cultures into a single, exoticized category. Note how the artist juxtaposes the figures, creating a hierarchy between the soldiers and the ‘Oriental’ people. The dog might symbolize loyalty or servitude, subtly reinforcing a power dynamic. This sketch not only reveals artistic skill but also serves as a historical document, reflecting the complex interplay of cultural curiosity, misunderstanding, and power relations that characterized Europe’s engagement with the East. It leaves us to consider the narratives we construct about others and ourselves.