Artwork
Oriental with a Plumed Hat, Looking Right
Oriental with a Plumed Hat, Looking Right is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Paul Haubenstricker. It dates from 1775 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Paul Haubenstricker’s 1775 etching titled *Oriental with a Plumed Hat, Looking Right* presents a solitary male figure rendered on laid paper. The composition captures the sitter in a three‑quarter profile, his head tipped slightly toward the viewer’s right. The work is executed as a single‑plate print, typical of eighteenth‑century European etching practices.
Subject & Meaning
The figure is distinguished by a voluminous feathered hat and a luxuriant, curling beard, both suggesting an exotic or foreign identity as understood by contemporary European audiences. His solemn expression and upright posture convey a dignified bearing, while the sideways glance adds a subtle sense of alertness or contemplation.
Technique & Style
Haubenstricker employed a traditional acid‑etched line, allowing ink to pool in the deeper grooves of the plate. This results in a slightly fuzzy texture on the hat’s plume and the beard’s curls, creating an impression of movement with minimal stroke. The line work is intentionally loose and scratchy, emphasizing surface texture over precise detail.
History & Provenance
The etching was produced in 1775, a period when European printmakers often explored Orientalist subjects. No specific patron or collection is recorded for this piece, and it appears to have circulated among private collectors of the time, typical of single‑plate prints that were sold individually or in small series.
Context
During the late eighteenth century, fascination with “Oriental” costumes and accessories grew in European art, reflecting broader cultural curiosities and trade connections. Haubenstricker’s choice of a plumed hat aligns with contemporary fashion trends that blended Eastern motifs with Western sensibilities, offering viewers a stylized glimpse of the exotic.
Artist & collection
