Babylonische man 1569

Editor: This is "Babylonian Man," a drawing from 1569 by Ferando Bertelli, held here at the Rijksmuseum. It's an ink drawing on paper, a portrait really, but something about it feels…staged? He looks more like an actor *playing* a Babylonian than an actual Babylonian. What do you make of it? Curator: Staged, perhaps, but filled with intent! Think about what “Babylon” meant in 1569. It wasn’t just a city; it was a loaded symbol: decadence, captivity, otherness. The man’s clothing – the soft hat, the heavily ornamented robe – all of it signifies a world apart from the viewer. Ask yourself: how does Bertelli use costume to create a sense of distance, of the exotic? Editor: So the costume is key to the image, setting up a contrast? But it's just a drawing. Does it really say something more about the cultural view of Babylonians? Curator: Absolutely! Drawings like this were often part of “costume books,” which catalogued different cultures, almost like visual encyclopedias. But remember, even a seemingly objective record is full of the recorder’s assumptions. Notice how his gaze avoids meeting ours. He's an object to be observed, classified, but never truly understood. That pose itself carries so much psychological weight. What does the rope he is holding represent to you? Editor: A form of restraint? He doesn't appear very powerful somehow, though, even though his clothes could denote prestige. Is Bertelli suggesting the Babylonian has been tamed? Curator: Possibly. Or that appearances can be deceiving. The image becomes a site where different anxieties and assumptions about power, wealth, and "civilization" all come to clash. He's adorned, certainly, but bound to an older time that is passing. Editor: That’s fascinating. I didn't think so much could be read from one portrait in a sketchbook! Curator: These images hold multitudes, reflecting both their subjects and the worlds of their creators. Seeing them in dialogue is where the real richness emerges.