Dimensions: 260 mm (height) x 195 mm (width) (netto)
Gavriil Skorodumov made this engraving, 'Tartarian Lady', sometime in the late 18th century. The image presents a woman in profile, modestly draped, and labelled as 'Tartarian'. The term 'Tartarian' speaks to a region and people of Central Asia, but it also invokes the exoticism with which Russia was viewed by Western Europeans in the 1700s. Skorodumov spent time in Western Europe, working as an engraver and studying at institutions like the Royal Academy in London. His work reflects the neoclassical style popular at the time, emphasizing order and reason. But consider the politics of representation here. By titling the work "Tartarian Lady", Skorodumov presents a specific cultural identity to a European audience, likely shaping their understanding. To understand this image fully, we might research period travelogues, fashion plates, and the history of Russian-European relations. The meaning of art is always bound to its time, place, and the institutions that shape its creation and reception.
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