The Second Oriental Head (reverse copy) 1730 - 1764

Editor: This is “The Second Oriental Head (reverse copy),” an etching and print made sometime between 1730 and 1764. It reminds me a little of Rembrandt. There is an aura of worldly contemplation, especially the way the turban shadows the subject’s eye, forcing our attention on their composed demeanor. What draws your eye when you look at this print? Curator: The turban is definitely the key! More than just headwear, the turban acts as a powerful symbol, specifically during that era of orientalism. This work invokes the East as seen through a Western lens. What details in the image speak to this sense of the ‘oriental’ to you? Editor: The fur coat, maybe? I suppose it plays into a stereotype of luxury and exoticism. Curator: Precisely. The textures! The artist meticulously renders fur and fabric. Beyond mere observation, these elements are deeply evocative. The contrast between the precise lines defining the face and the soft fur creates a potent image of otherness – perhaps a romanticised view of a distant land and culture? Notice how his face seems timeless despite the explicit markers of the exotic "other" surrounding it. This speaks volumes about identity, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It’s like the symbols overshadow the individual, almost making the person secondary to the image being presented. So, does this ‘reverse copy’ title imply it's referencing something else, or playing with the orientalist theme somehow? Curator: Intriguing question. Often copies help disseminate images widely, allowing them to live beyond their original creation and context. Do you think that the symbols represented could have been copied over time through multiple artforms as well? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way before! The transmission of symbols as their own artistic entities, that's incredible to consider, even beyond a single artwork’s existence. Thank you! Curator: It’s fascinating how images borrow and transform across centuries, and within our own minds. Always challenging our perspectives on cultural memory!