Oude man met tulband 1705 - 1775

Johann Georg Hertel created this small etching, "Old Man with a Turban," sometime in the 18th century. It's a copy after Rembrandt, an artist who was fascinated by representing different cultures. During this period, there was a growing European interest in the "Orient," although this interest was often filtered through imagination and fantasy. Turbans, like the one worn here, became a common way to signify exoticism in art. The image carries a lot of social baggage. It reflects how Europeans were beginning to see and categorize people from different parts of the world. But it’s also deeply personal. We're invited to look closely at the man's face, to see the lines of age and experience. Hertel's work reminds us to reflect on how we perceive others, how much of our perception is based on genuine understanding, and how much is shaped by cultural narratives.