Twee Hongaren 1690 - 1710

Editor: So, here we have "Twee Hongaren", or "Two Hungarians", an engraving dating from around 1690 to 1710. It’s anonymous and held in the Rijksmuseum collection. It looks almost like a fashion plate dropped onto a map. I find it strange yet fascinating. What strikes you about this print? Curator: It whispers to me of identity and perspective, a world trying to map itself, not just geographically, but culturally. I imagine the artist wrestling with how to portray the 'other' – Hungary, as viewed through a Western European lens. Do you see how the figures are presented almost like specimens, carefully documented with their attire as the focal point? They are, in effect, embodying "Hungary" for the viewer. Editor: Yes, now that you mention it, the map fades into a backdrop. The focus truly is on these two men and their garments. What do you make of that presentation? Is it accurate, or is something else going on? Curator: Ah, accuracy… a slippery thing, isn’t it? Perhaps it’s less about flawless replication and more about conveying an impression, a certain idea of Hungary. The engraving, intended for dissemination, also acts as a historical time capsule of cultural perceptions of people. How much of their authentic selves, would you say, can you see in these carefully rendered men? Editor: I suppose that it's difficult for me to disentangle fact from representation, especially given the artwork’s age. I suppose a modern comparison would be how specific communities feel they are misrepresented by Hollywood movies. Curator: Exactly! That gap, that space between the ‘real’ and the portrayed, that's where so much of the story lies. Food for thought, indeed. It reminds me that visual artifacts, in a manner, contain an archive of perception and representation. Editor: That’s really given me a different way to think about it; thank you!