De dwerg Hali Nasili Pascha, ca. 1710 1705 - 1715

This is Martin Engelbrecht's print "De dwerg Hali Nasili Pascha," created around 1710. It is a hand-colored etching now held at the Rijksmuseum. During this period, European art often reflected a fascination with, and misrepresentation of, the Ottoman Empire. Engelbrecht's depiction of Hali Nasili Pascha, a high-ranking Ottoman official, presents a figure that is both exoticized and diminutive. The term "dwarf" in the title is a commentary on Pascha's perceived status. This image participates in the broader European construction of the "Orient" as "other". This representation raises questions about power dynamics and cultural bias, especially given Engelbrecht's location in Augsburg, Germany, far removed from the realities of Ottoman court life. Consider how identity is negotiated across cultural divides, and how easily it can be distorted through the lens of foreign perception.