An officer of lascarins sitting on a bench 1662

Esaias Boursse created this pencil drawing of an officer of lascarins. The drawing is made with graphite, a relatively soft material that yields lines of variable darkness. The artist would have controlled the pressure and angle of the pencil to create a range of tones. Look at the way the shading gives depth to the officer’s clothing, the shadows under the bench, and the soft rendering of the officer’s face. What is particularly interesting about this piece is the depiction of the Lascarin officer. Lascarins were South Asian sailors or militiamen, often employed by European colonial powers, which has imbued the work with social and cultural significance tied to labor, politics, and consumption during the colonial era. The artist captured the likeness of this individual. He created a permanent record of this person’s existence using only a pencil and his own skilled hand. Considering the materials, the making process, and the historical context of this drawing enrich our understanding, challenging the traditional gap between art and craft.