Join exhibition curator Talitha Maria G. Schepers for an in-depth exploration of the exhibition Imagine Me and You: Dutch and Flemish Encounters with the Islamic World, 1450–1750.

Discover what prompted Netherlandish artists to include everyday objects from the Islamic world, like textiles and carpets, in their paintings. Why did Rembrandt copy a Mughal painting? And what role did the tulip—a symbol of the Netherlands—play in Habsburg-Ottoman diplomacy?

Imagine Me and You (May 18–August 18, 2024) explores the rich and diverse encounters that occurred between artists from the Low Countries (part of the Habsburg Empire) and the multicultural, multilingual, and multifaith societies of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires from 1450 to 1750. A myriad of cultural, diplomatic, and mercantile interactions took place during this time, either in person or through the exchange of objects, art, and ideas. The exhibition traces these multiple encounters through the world of Netherlandish artworks and their varied representations of the Islamic realm.