Bust of a Man, Profile, Wearing a Turban c. 18th century

Editor: So, this is Georg Friedrich Schmidt’s “Bust of a Man, Profile, Wearing a Turban.” It's an undated print housed here at Harvard Art Museums. The subject seems lost in thought... what strikes you most about it? Curator: Ah, he appears so wise, doesn't he? That turban...it's not just fabric, it's a statement. Schmidt is playing with exoticism, that romantic allure of the "other." He's inviting us to dream. He makes me wonder, what stories would this man tell, if he could? Editor: So, it's not necessarily a literal portrait? More about an imagined persona? I like that. Curator: Precisely! And the beauty of art lies in its ability to spark one's imagination.