Chinese man onder een baldakijn 1682 - 1711

This is a print by Pieter Schenk, dating back to the late 17th or early 18th century. It depicts a Chinese man under a baldachin. The baldachin, a symbol of authority and sacred space, is set within an interior occupied by figures and objects that signify an orientalist fantasy. The figure’s gesture of open-handed display is striking. We see echoes of this very gesture in religious iconography across cultures – think of a Byzantine Madonna or a Christian saint presenting their sacred being. But here, the gesture is detached from its sacred origins and re-contextualized. This oriental figure is presented as an exotic curiosity for a European audience. Such appropriations reveal the complex interplay between cultures, with gestures and symbols transcending their original meanings to become part of a shared visual language. The emotional power of this image lies in its ability to evoke a sense of wonder and the exotic, inviting viewers to project their own desires and fantasies onto the ‘other’. This print is an invitation to reflect on how cultural symbols evolve, reflecting and shaping our collective psyche.