Hab.ts de Mauritanie, from the playing cards (for quartets) "Costumes des Peuples Étrangers" 18th century

This playing card, titled "Hab.ts de Mauritanie," or "Inhabitants of Mauritania" is from an anonymous series called "Costumes des Peuples Étrangers" or "Costumes of Foreign Peoples". Created during a period of burgeoning European colonialism, this card reflects the era’s fascination with exoticizing foreign cultures. Note how the figures are presented—their clothing is detailed yet the figures are somewhat stereotypical. How do the visual cues in the attire and the subjects' postures communicate the dynamic between these two figures? Consider how this image might have shaped European perceptions of Mauritania, a region in Northwest Africa. Does this card perpetuate a sense of otherness, reinforcing cultural and racial hierarchies? It prompts us to consider the power dynamics inherent in representation, urging us to reflect on the gazes through which we view and understand different cultures.