Man in Turban 

This brown chalk drawing on paper is titled 'Man in Turban' and was made by Thomas Eakins. It's an interesting example of how artists in 19th century America engaged with the ‘orientalist’ fantasies so fashionable at the time. Eakins, a painter known for his unsentimental realism, here turns his eye to an imagined exoticism. The turban becomes a signifier, a shorthand for a world far removed from Philadelphia. But what does it mean for Eakins, as a product of his time and place, to represent this 'other'? Was it a respectful nod to a different culture, or an appropriation? Unpacking these questions involves delving into the social and cultural currents of the period: America's burgeoning global ambitions, its complex relationship with immigration, and the art world's own institutional biases. As historians, we can use archives, letters, and critical writings to understand the drawing's significance and its place within a broader cultural landscape.