Studieblad, onder andere met een gondel en een kop van farao Seti I 1858 - 1860

Willem de Famars Testas made this watercolor and pencil drawing titled 'Studieblad, onder andere met een gondel en een kop van farao Seti I'. This translates as "Study sheet, including a gondola and a head of Pharaoh Seti I". It’s a collection of sketches capturing details encountered during his travels. Produced in the 19th century, a period defined by the rise of Orientalism, this work reflects the fascination and sometimes skewed understanding of non-European cultures. Famars Testas was among many European artists who traveled to the Middle East and North Africa, drawn by the exoticism and perceived mystery of these regions. This was the time of archaeological discoveries that fueled the imagination of artists and the public alike. The presence of Egyptian motifs alongside a Venetian gondola points to the artist's interest in visually contrasting different cultures. Understanding this drawing requires us to consider the broader context of European imperialism and the way non-Western cultures were being studied, collected, and represented in the West. We can begin to investigate the work more fully by looking at travel accounts and the artist’s journals.