Buste van een koning met tulband 1633

This is an etching of a man in a turban made in 1633 by an anonymous artist in the Netherlands. The image presents us with questions about the public role of art, in particular the politics of imagery in the 17th century. The Netherlands in the 17th century was a major center for trade with the Ottoman Empire and other parts of the Islamic world. This print reflects a broader European fascination with exoticism and otherness. The turban, a symbol of the Islamic world, is here worn by a European man, possibly as a form of masquerade. It raises questions about how the artist and his audience perceived cultural differences. What does it mean to represent oneself as "other"? Historians can consult period sources such as trade records, travel literature, and costume books to better understand the social and institutional context of this image. Art’s meaning is always contingent on its specific social and institutional context.