Drie hoofden van mannen met een tulband en twee geschetste gezichten 1620 - 1657

This is Stefano della Bella's study, "Three Heads of Men with Turbans and Two Sketched Faces." Della Bella, an Italian printmaker, created this work using pen and brown ink, likely in the mid-17th century. During this period, encounters between Europe and the Ottoman world were common, yet often filtered through biased lenses. Della Bella's sketches reflect a fascination with the "exotic" East, a theme that permeated much of Western art and culture at the time. The turban, a significant marker of cultural and religious identity, becomes a focal point, inviting questions about representation and cultural exchange. Consider the emotional distance in these sketches. Are they attempts at authentic portrayal, or do they perpetuate stereotypes? Della Bella’s work captures a moment in history where curiosity and orientalism intersect, revealing complex attitudes towards the “Other.” It prompts us to reflect on how we perceive and represent cultures different from our own, both then and now.