"Saba" 1647

Curator: It feels almost theatrical, this meticulous cross-hatching bringing a far-off city to life. There’s a strange calm to it, considering the implied scale. Editor: We're looking at an engraving titled "Saba," created in 1647. Though its author is unknown, this print resides in the collection of the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. It's a compelling early modern depiction of an Islamic cityscape. Curator: Cityscapes have always held a certain symbolic power, promising journeys into the unknown. Here, the unknown is visually codified with camels in the foreground. What might "Saba" have meant to European audiences in the 17th century? Editor: It's important to remember that European encounters with Islamic culture at the time were mediated through trade, conquest, and theological debate. Representations, like this one, were caught up in these power dynamics, informing, and also likely misinforming European viewers. The precision of the engraving implies authority and factualness. Curator: The way the buildings are stacked, one atop another, suggests a sort of timeless quality. Even the walled perimeter lends itself to thinking about psychological barriers – the seen versus the unseen, the known versus the mysterious East. Editor: Precisely. Notice, also, the level of detail in the rendering of architectural elements and topographical features—elements European powers aimed to chart for strategic purposes. It hints at burgeoning imperial ambitions and the desire to categorize and possess. Curator: The single standing camel seems poised, almost an intermediary, an animal perfectly designed to traverse symbolic boundaries. Its gaze draws us toward that grand city in the distance, where so many human narratives intertwine. It becomes an invitation to contemplate the layered history imbued in that single word – "Saba." Editor: Ultimately, this image serves as a fascinating glimpse into how early modern Europeans constructed ideas about distant cultures, and it underscores how art participates in constructing our collective understandings of the world.