Twee dammende Arnauten tegenover elkaar op een bank 1856 - 1886

Henry Valentin produced this print, titled "Two Arnauts Playing Checkers Facing Each Other on a Bench," using lithography in the mid-19th century. The image presents an orientalist scene, with the Arnauts, members of an Albanian group, engaged in a game of checkers. Such depictions were part of a broader trend in 19th-century European art, reflecting a fascination with the "exotic" cultures of the East, even as those regions faced increasing colonial pressures. The setting, possibly a trading post or a traveler’s inn, speaks to the kind of cross-cultural interactions that fueled both artistic interest and imperial expansion. We can consider this artwork as a product of its time, shaped by the prevailing attitudes and institutions of 19th-century Europe, and also as a historical document that offers insights into the social and political dynamics of the era. Further research into travel literature, colonial records, and the artist’s biography can help us to understand the complex context in which such images were created and consumed.