Study for the Attendant in ‘The Princess Badroulbadour’ c. 1908

Curator: This is Sir William Rothenstein's Study for the Attendant in ‘The Princess Badroulbadour’. Editor: There's a striking stillness to this sketch, a sense of quiet observation. Curator: Absolutely. Rothenstein, working around the turn of the century, was deeply engaged with issues of representation, particularly Orientalism and its portrayal of figures from the Middle East. Editor: The attire is clearly meant to signify a specific cultural identity, but the simplified form allows for a broader interpretation. The hat, especially, hints at status. Curator: Yes, the attendant figure becomes a vessel for exploring themes of service, power, and the gaze itself. It's crucial to understand the colonial context. Editor: The soft sepia lines also feel like a deliberate choice, evoking a sense of history and perhaps romanticizing the subject matter. Curator: It’s a work that encourages us to question the artist's own biases and the way Western art has historically depicted non-Western subjects. Editor: Indeed. It reminds us that even preliminary sketches can offer profound insights into the complex interplay of culture, identity, and artistic intention.