This project examines Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione's depictions of Oriental attire in his Oriental Heads series by creating a historical and cultural context. Because these etchings have not yet received significant scholarly attention, they demand a new contextualization to be properly understood. The little scholarship that does exist dismisses the series as derivative of Rembrandt’s tronies, which has perpetuated the absence of in-depth analyses of Castiglione’s works.
By investigating Castiglione’s depictions of Oriental clothing throughout his oeuvre, this project sheds new light on the way costume functions in his artworks. Additionally, incorporating discussions of important predecessors (namely Gentile Bellini and Albrecht Durer) will help create a framework of early modern depictions of Oriental attire. This context is critical to begin to understand Castiglione’s Oriental Heads etchings, and contribute to existing scholarship on early modern Orientalism.