Groot-vizier Ibrahim Pasha te paard 1577

Abraham de Bruyn created this print of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha on horseback sometime in the late 16th century. Notice how the rearing horse and rider dominate the composition, their static, upright pose creating a sense of imposing power. De Bruyn employs a formal structure that rigidly defines the figures and their relationship to each other. The Grand Vizier is depicted with strong contour lines and dense hatching, emphasizing his ornamental turban and opulent attire. The artist uses line and form to render Ibrahim Pasha as an emblem of Ottoman authority. The rearing horse, its musculature carefully delineated, adds to the drama. This print invites us to consider how Europeans of the time perceived and constructed images of foreign leaders. In this context, the detailed rendering of costume and accoutrements functions as a signifier, communicating a sense of the exotic and powerful Other.