Twee bustes van mannen met tulband en baard 1781

Curator: Today we're looking at "Twee bustes van mannen met tulband en baard" which translates to “Two busts of men with turban and beard” created in 1781 by Jean Charles Bentinck. It's an engraving. Editor: It's interesting. A study in contrasts, wouldn't you say? One man is depicted in profile, appearing younger and sporting a feathered turban. The other is fuller in the face with a long beard and gazes rightward. It makes me wonder about identity and how we choose to present ourselves. Curator: Absolutely. It's critical to think about how the perception of the “Orient” or “Eastern” cultures was constructed during the 18th century. Turbans were fashionable amongst some elites in Europe and we should consider what kind of performative status was signaled here. Editor: Do you think there’s any political intent with that symbolic exoticism of the Baroque era? I feel as if artists began creating and disseminating information differently during that period. Curator: I agree. Considering the role engravings played in circulating images to a wider audience, we can delve into what the function of portraits were back then. Who were they meant for and how did portraiture reflect socio-political relationships and values of the time? How did engravings make portraiture more accessible? Editor: It really brings home how depictions can affect societal understanding and assumptions, like how portraiture influenced who got the credit. Were certain groups pushed into the shadows through visual mediums like these? Curator: Exactly! It goes further into identity, the idea that image production is an institution where representation can become its own form of domination. So who had agency, and who was being exoticized here, or both? Editor: You are right, these simple-seeming busts are opening many pathways for considering societal dynamics, portraiture accessibility, and agency with just lines and paper.