Two Sinhalese tillers 1662

Esaias Boursse created this drawing of two Sinhalese tillers. The image depicts these men standing on a shore, their physical forms rendered with a striking emphasis on their musculature and posture, alluding to their labor. The figure on the right, glancing over his shoulder, reminds me of the ‘contrapposto’ seen in classical sculptures, such as the Doryphoros, also conveying a sense of potential energy and movement. In this drawing, the turn of the figure is not merely a display of physical form but could suggest a deeper unease, a subtle acknowledgment of the viewer, and perhaps a silent commentary on the colonial gaze. This motif of looking back appears frequently, from ancient depictions of Orpheus looking back to Eurydice, to Lot's wife looking back at Sodom. The act encapsulates a moment of hesitation, loss, and the irresistible pull of the past. It is this emotional complexity that makes the image so captivating and reflective of our own subconscious struggles with memory and identity.