Dans van de inwoners van Madagaskar, 1595 1597 - 1646

This is an engraving titled 'Dance of the Inhabitants of Madagascar', made in 1595 by an anonymous artist. It reflects the European view of non-European cultures during the colonial era. The image presents a scene of Madagascan people engaged in a dance, with varying skin tones and attire which may reflect early racial and social biases of European colonizers. The figures on the left are dark-skinned, scantily clad and holding spears, while the group on the right, fair-skinned and more covered, clap. The engraving is likely less a factual representation and more a construction of European imagination, influenced by the politics of exploration and colonization. There is a clear Othering and exoticism of the Madagascan people. It’s an early example of the West defining itself against an imagined ‘primitive’ Other. We are left to consider how such images contributed to a narrative that justified colonial actions and shaped enduring stereotypes. It serves as a reminder of the power dynamics inherent in representation, and the importance of critically examining historical depictions of marginalized communities.