Jan Banning

Turkish “Proletarian” Version of Rembrandt’s Portrait of Jan Six (17th Century Mayor of Amsterdam)

Archival pigment (Giclée) print
33 x 45 cm
Edition of 20

Price: euro 4500

This photo was made in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam during its reconstruction and Celal (the model) is a welder working at the site.

Artist Statement

Jan Banning: ’Xenophobia, and especially islamophobia, is on the rise in many European countries. Given these circumstances, I feel it is important to take a stand on these developments in European society, and mobilise against intolerance and narrow-mindedness. In the series National Identities,  I give immigrants a main role by using them as models in my photographic variations on classic iconic paintings, which have become national cultural symbols,. By doing this, I question the concept of homogeneous national identities in European countries.’