Portret van Süleyman Pasja 1600 - 1604

Editor: Here we have "Portret van Süleyman Pasja" from around 1600 to 1604 by Dominicus Custos, a print using metal and engraving techniques, housed in the Rijksmuseum. The aged paper really gives it a sense of history. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: This print provides a fascinating window into the complex relationship between Europe and the Ottoman Empire. How does this portrait reinforce or challenge prevailing European views of Ottoman figures at that time? Consider the way Süleyman Pasja is presented: his clothing, his gaze. Are there any visual cues that exoticize him, or do you see something else? Editor: Well, his gaze is very direct, and he seems dignified. Not at all how I'd expect someone who was seen as an enemy to be portrayed. Curator: Exactly. This print functions as a document of power and cultural exchange. These images, circulated widely, contributed to constructing the "Other." What role do you think prints like these played in shaping European perceptions, both positive and negative, of Ottoman culture and individuals? Do you see how the artist’s choices might subtly reflect underlying power dynamics or biases of the time? Editor: That makes me think about who was commissioning these portraits and what their intentions might have been. Thanks! Curator: And how those intentions shape not only who is remembered, but how they are remembered, and what political function that memory serves. An interesting example of the intersection of art, history, and power.