Portret van een jongen met tulband, pijlenkoker en hamer 1610 - 1655

Pieter Fransz de Grebber created this print, titled *Portrait of a Boy with Turban, Quiver and Hammer*, sometime in the first half of the 17th century. The turban in the image is telling. In 17th-century Dutch art, turbans were often used to exoticize or orientalize the subject, playing into European fantasies about the “Orient.” But they were also associated with wealth and status, suggesting an interest in global trade and its impact on Dutch society. The boy's ambiguous identity is further complicated by the quiver and hammer he holds – objects of labor and war. Is he a craftsman, a warrior, or something in between? What does it mean for a young boy to be associated with these symbols of power and labor? The emotional impact of this piece lies in this ambiguity. The boy’s gaze is direct and unsettling, challenging us to consider the complexities of identity and representation in a world increasingly shaped by cross-cultural exchange.