Half-Length Portrait of an Old Man 1683 - 1720

Daniël de Koninck painted this portrait of an old man, rendered in oil, sometime around the turn of the 18th century. The turban, adorned with a jewel and feather, immediately catches the eye. Turbans, historically symbols of status and religious identity in the East, became fashionable exotic accessories in Europe, particularly in portraiture. This appropriation speaks to a deep-seated human fascination with the "other," a way to both celebrate and perhaps subtly control the foreign. We can see this exoticism echoed through history, from Renaissance depictions of the Magi to later Orientalist paintings. The man's gaze, direct yet melancholic, draws us in. It's a look that transcends time, hinting at the cyclical nature of human experience, the recurring themes of age, wisdom, and perhaps, disillusionment. The turban, a marker of difference, becomes a mask, both concealing and revealing the universal human condition beneath.