De koning van Tuban op zijn olifant, 1599 1600s - 1610s

Editor: This print, titled "De koning van Tuban op zijn olifant," or "The King of Tuban on His Elephant," dates from the early 1600s and is attributed to an anonymous artist. It’s currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. I find the composition striking in its sort of awkward flatness, almost like a theatrical stage. What do you make of this curious scene? Curator: You're right, it’s beautifully awkward! I find this piece deeply fascinating, especially in how it captures the Dutch gaze upon a faraway land. This image, created in the era of booming trade routes, is trying to show us the "exotic" king, but what really leaps out is the elephant, bravely strolling with its howdah, carrying not just the king, but also, metaphorically, a kingdom, a culture! Have you ever felt that sort of weight when presenting yourself? Editor: The weight of expectations, definitely! And I guess the elephant becomes a symbol of that weight. But how much of what we're seeing is accurate versus pure projection on the part of the artist? Curator: That's the beauty, isn’t it? It’s probably less "National Geographic" and more "imagineering." Think of the text scrawled across the top; like a school child's caption under a picture. Now, peer closely; does that stiff, formal parade truly resonate with you as a "living breathing scene", or a stage production? What is “reality,” anyway? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s more like a carefully staged…tableau. A story told, rather than reality captured. Curator: Precisely! And what stories do *we* tell through our own projections, I wonder? Food for thought. Editor: Absolutely. I went in expecting a straightforward historical depiction, and now I’m considering how much of it is constructed fantasy and our own modern perspective! Curator: Isn't art history amazing? It’s rarely what you expect; we can learn so much from each other if we allow our stories to be heard.