Herre med turban 1726 - 1748

David Gardelle painted this portrait – known as "Man with a Turban" – sometime in the mid-18th century. It’s a small painting, only about 11 centimeters high, and embodies the fashion for what was then called "Turkish" style. This work needs to be viewed through the lens of its time. European society had a fascination with the "Orient," often exoticizing and misrepresenting cultures of the Middle East. This portrait reflects that trend, where turbans and other elements of non-Western dress were seen as fashionable accessories. Gardelle gives us a man of European descent masquerading in the guise of the exotic other. We can see a tension between the man's European features and the Orientalist styling of the turban. What does it mean for the sitter to assume this guise? Does it broaden his identity, or does it simply appropriate another culture's symbols for aesthetic pleasure? This painting invites us to reflect on the complexities of cultural exchange and the power dynamics inherent in representation.