Fotoreproductie van een tekening van de kruisvaarders voor wandschilderingen voor het trappenhuis van het Neues Museum in Berlijn before 1870

This is a photorealistic reproduction of a drawing by Gustav Schauer, made in the 19th century. It depicts the crusaders for wall paintings in the stairwell of the Neues Museum in Berlin. This image reflects the 19th-century fascination with historical narratives, particularly those that glorified European military and religious campaigns. Schauer's drawing exoticizes the “Orient” and frames the crusades as a heroic endeavor. This Orientalist perspective obscures the complex realities of cultural exchange, and the violence inflicted during these historical events. Consider the emotional impact of viewing this artwork in the context of the Neues Museum, a site of cultural preservation. How do we reconcile the aesthetic beauty of the drawing with its problematic subject matter? How do images like these contribute to the construction of cultural identity?