Twee dromedariskoppen

Bernard Picart made this print of two dromedary heads sometime between 1673 and 1733. During this time, the Dutch Republic was a major center for trade, which included the exchange of exotic animals for display and study. Picart’s detailed rendering provides insight into the cultural attitudes towards the ‘Orient’ and its inhabitants, both human and animal. The camel, often seen as a beast of burden, is here given a noble, almost regal presence. The bridling of one of the camels might evoke the complicated relationships between the colonizer and the colonized. The print invites us to reflect on the historical context of cross-cultural exchange, and the power dynamics inherent in the human gaze observing the animal. In doing so, it encourages us to consider the emotional and ethical dimensions of how we perceive and represent the 'Other.'