Unus Americanus ex Virginia (An American from Virginia) 1645

Editor: Here we have Wenceslaus Hollar's 1645 engraving, "Unus Americanus ex Virginia," or "An American from Virginia." The man depicted appears young, perhaps in his early twenties, adorned with striking jewelry and a unique hairstyle. It’s a surprisingly intimate portrayal. What do you see in this piece, particularly given its historical context? Curator: Hollar’s work is steeped in the symbolism of encounter and representation. Notice how the sitter is meticulously adorned, the details of his jewelry and hairstyle carefully rendered. Consider how Hollar, a European artist, chose to portray this "American." What aspects did he emphasize, and what might he have overlooked or perhaps misunderstood? The face-on representation lends a feeling of objective reportage. What elements feel like an outsider's observations, rather than insider knowledge? Editor: I hadn't thought about the outsider's perspective so explicitly. The emphasis on the details of his ornamentation now strikes me as almost anthropological. It feels like a cataloguing of otherness. Curator: Precisely. And what about the inscription, "aetat 23"? That age marker adds a layer of specificity, but does it individualize him or further categorize him? The choice of Latin for the inscription also sets the subject apart, because Latin was a language of education, used across Europe by scholars, and perhaps, even colonial officials. Editor: So, in essence, it simultaneously identifies and objectifies? I see that tension now. It is no longer just a face from the past but also carries heavy connotations of that initial cultural meeting, full of wonder, but also, unequal power dynamics. Curator: Exactly. Art is, after all, a record of who does the seeing and who is being seen, across time.