Man met tulband, over zijn schouder kijkend 1750 - 1778

Editor: Here we have "Man met tulband, over zijn schouder kijkend," or "Man with Turban, Looking over his Shoulder," an engraving made between 1750 and 1778 by Georg Leopold Hertel. The cross-hatching creates so much depth and texture! What's your take on this portrait? Curator: I see this work as an important document reflecting 18th-century European fascination with the “Orient.” While seemingly a simple portrait, we need to ask ourselves: whose gaze is being represented here? The subject, adorned in what’s understood as "Eastern" garb, becomes an object of observation and potentially, misrepresentation. Editor: So you're saying that the way the man is dressed exoticizes him? Curator: Precisely. Think about the context: the Enlightenment was in full swing, and with it came pseudo-scientific attempts to categorize and understand different peoples. This engraving participates in that act of categorizing, of "othering." The very title emphasizes the turban, drawing attention to what Europeans considered a marker of foreignness. Editor: That makes sense. It's like the artist is focusing on the costume rather than the individual. Curator: Exactly. How does this connect to contemporary issues? Aren’t we still grappling with representations that perpetuate stereotypes and reduce individuals to cultural symbols? Examining pieces like this allows us to unpack the history of those power dynamics. Who gets to represent whom, and what are the social consequences of those representations? Editor: That's a really important point, about how art can perpetuate power imbalances. I never would have considered that angle. Curator: Art offers us invaluable lessons precisely because it's often intertwined with historical and social forces. Let’s strive to view such works critically and continue to push for inclusive representations in art.