Hoofd van een Chinees en van een Khoikhoi 1787 - 1828

Ludwig Gottlieb Portman created this print, "Head of a Chinese man and a Khoikhoi man," during a time of increasing European exploration and colonialism. It embodies the period's fascination with categorizing and documenting different races. The print presents two men, identified by the titles "Een Chinees" and "Een Hottentot," the latter being an outdated and derogatory term for a Khoikhoi person. It reflects the 18th and 19th-century pseudoscientific approaches to race, where physical characteristics were used to define and differentiate groups of people. These depictions, though seemingly objective, were laden with the biases of the time, reinforcing hierarchical views of race and civilization. Consider how Portman's artistic choices contribute to or challenge these stereotypes. What does it mean to isolate these individuals and present them as specimens? How do you feel when viewing these portraits? This artwork offers a glimpse into the complex, often troubling, history of how race has been perceived and represented.