Sketches of Turbanned Men (recto); Fragment of a Figure and Sketches of Foliated Architectural Ornament (verso) n.d.

This drawing, "Sketches of Turbanned Men", was made by Salvator Rosa, likely in the mid-17th century. Note the sepia ink laid upon the page in dynamic, swirling lines, capturing light and shadow with remarkable economy. The composition isn’t structured by traditional perspective, instead, Rosa presents us with various heads and figures scattered across the surface. Rosa's approach challenges the classical ideals of order and proportion that dominated much of the art of his time. We observe a semiotic disruption; turbans, then associated with the Ottoman Empire, carry a host of cultural and political meanings related to the "Orient". Rosa doesn't resolve these meanings but presents them raw, destabilizing European viewers' understanding of the "other". The roughness of the line, the immediacy of the sketch, all suggest an artist grappling with new ways of seeing and representing the world. This drawing invites us to consider how even seemingly simple sketches can challenge established notions and open new avenues for interpretation.