Bust of a deformed man wearing a bulbous hat in profile to the left 1644 - 1652

This is Wenceslaus Hollar’s small etching of a deformed man in profile, which is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hollar, born in Prague, was working in a 17th century European society that was fascinated, and often repulsed, by physical difference. The image is both intimate and alienating. The man’s face, with its pronounced features, is rendered with careful detail. His gaze is averted, perhaps suggesting a sense of shame or resignation. The bulbous hat might be an attempt to normalize or hide his difference, yet it paradoxically draws more attention to it. This work makes me think about how we categorize and perceive “the other”. Hollar’s work invites us to consider the complex interplay between visibility, marginalization, and identity. What does it mean to portray someone with a visible difference? Does it perpetuate stigma, or does it offer a form of acknowledgement?