Knud Rasmussen 

Albert Engström made this print of Knud Rasmussen. It's an etching, a medium that allows for fine lines and detailed shading. Engström was a Swedish artist with a keen eye for social observation, and here he turns his attention to Rasmussen, the famous Greenlandic explorer and anthropologist. Born in Greenland to a Danish missionary and a Greenlandic-Inuit mother, Rasmussen bridged cultures. This portrait offers a glimpse into the era's fascination with exploration and its complex relationship with indigenous populations. It was a time when European powers were expanding their reach, often appropriating indigenous knowledge. Engström’s choice of etching lends a documentary feel to the image. We might ask, what was the nature of the relationship between artist and sitter? And what are the politics of representing an explorer who was also of Inuit origin? Such questions underscore the critical role of historical research and contextual awareness in interpreting art. After all, meaning is contingent on the social and institutional frameworks in which art is made.