Titelprent met Finse boterhandelaar 1768

Jean Baptist Leprince created this print of a Finnish butter merchant in the 18th century. Leprince, a painter and etcher, spent five years in Russia during the reign of Catherine the Great, a period when the Russian Empire was expanding its influence and trade connections. This image offers a window into the era's fascination with the exotic 'other'. The merchant, with his fur hat and simple garb, stands as a symbol of foreign trade and cultural exchange. Yet, this representation is also framed by the power dynamics of the time, where Russia's expanding empire brought it into contact with diverse cultures, often portrayed through a lens of exoticism. It makes me think about how people from different cultures and backgrounds were seen and treated during that period, and how those perceptions might still affect us today.