Staande Egyptenaar met gebedskrans 1862

Willem de Famars Testas created this watercolor, "Standing Egyptian with Prayer Beads," in the 19th century. At this time, Western artists often depicted the “Orient” through the lens of their own cultural assumptions. Here, the artist captures a solitary man in what appears to be a moment of private devotion. The prayer beads in his hands and the prayer rug beneath his bare feet mark his religious identity, yet the Western gaze exoticizes him. How might this man have viewed himself, separate from the artist's rendering? What does it mean to be seen and interpreted by another culture? The painting invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in representation. It challenges us to consider the differences between how identity is performed and how it is perceived, and the complex interplay between the personal and the political.