Kostuumstudies van drie derwisjen te Kaffa 1832 - 1842

Auguste Raffet created this watercolor of “Costume Studies of Three Dervishes in Kaffa,” sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Raffet, who served as a draughtsman for the French army, travelled extensively with various military expeditions. These studies of Dervishes—members of a Sufi religious order—offer a glimpse into the dynamics of cultural exchange and representation during a period marked by European expansion. What do these figures tell us about the artist’s perceptions, and the prevailing European views of non-Western cultures? Is this an attempt at ethnographic documentation, or is it more invested in the romanticization of the ‘Orient’? These questions encourage us to consider the power dynamics inherent in how different cultures perceive and represent one another. As you consider this image, reflect on the gaze through which it was created.