Ruiterportret van Mohammed Ali 1840

This is Victor Adam’s “Equestrian Portrait of Muhammad Ali,” a lithograph now held in the Rijksmuseum. What immediately grabs our attention is the composition, which frames Mohammed Ali within an ornate border. Notice how the artist has used this structural device to create a sense of enclosure and importance around the central figure. The detailed rendering of Ali and his horse, contrasted with the softer, almost dreamlike background, focuses our gaze. Adam employs delicate lines and shading to bring out the textures—from the horse's mane to Ali's garments. The serpentine border adds a layer of symbolic complexity. Snakes often represent power, transformation, or even deception, subtly hinting at the complex nature of Ali’s rule. This interplay between the central portrait and its framing elements invites us to question the very nature of representation and the power dynamics it embodies. Adam’s work, while seemingly straightforward, engages in a broader discourse about the construction of identity and authority through visual means.