Cavaleriegevecht met Oosterse ruiters 1700 - 1800

Johannes Verhoek created this etching of a cavalry battle with oriental riders. The print depicts a clash between European and Ottoman forces. In its portrayal of the Orient, the image participates in a long history of Western fantasies about the East, a phenomenon Edward Said influentially termed "Orientalism". The artist uses visual cues to mark the cultural difference between the two sides, from the turbans and curved swords of the Ottomans to the more familiar European military garb. Produced in the Netherlands, this image would have circulated among a public keenly aware of the ongoing conflicts and trade relations with the Ottoman Empire. The etching is not merely a depiction of a battle, but a statement about cultural identity and power dynamics. Historians of art and culture can unpack such images by examining travelogues, political pamphlets, and other visual representations of the period. These sources reveal the complex ways in which cultural difference was negotiated and represented through art.