Islamitische galeislaven maken een galei klaar voor droogdok 1649

This print, titled 'Islamic Galley Slaves Preparing a Galley for Dry Dock', was made by M. Schaep, and it throws into sharp relief the power dynamics of the 17th century. It’s impossible to ignore the racial and religious elements at play. This artwork depicts the harsh reality of enslaved people, reduced to labor under the authority of another. The term "Islamic" used here underscores the religious dimension of their identity, marking them as 'other' in the eyes of the dominant European culture. These individuals were not merely laborers, but prisoners of war, caught in the crossfire of religious and political conflict. The work invites us to reflect on the human cost of empire-building and the ways in which identities are constructed and instrumentalized in service of power. It prompts questions about the ethics of representation, and how we can approach historical images with a critical eye.