Zarmanochegas op de brandstapel 1802

Ludwig Gottlieb Portman created this print, depicting 'Zarmanochegas on the Pyre', using etching and burin. The scene reflects an ancient historical encounter, the self-immolation of Zarmanochegas, an Indian monk, in Athens. The print invites a dialogue between cultural practices of the East and the West, through the lens of 18th-century European sensibilities. In the etching, observe the figures surrounding the pyre, their gestures and expressions suggesting a mixture of awe and philosophical contemplation. Portman invites us to reflect on how societies understand and represent cultural practices that differ from their own. The black figure and the garbed figures are in stark contrast to the one seated who seems to be of noble descent. Consider how Portman’s etching serves as a point of reflection on the complexities of cultural exchange and the human desire to understand the ‘other’. The artwork is not just an illustration, but a lens through which to examine historical attitudes towards identity, race, and cultural difference.