Mannen zittend in een veld tijdens het 'Fête du Marabout' bij Chorfa (Algerije) Possibly 1895

This photograph by Marotte captures a ‘Fête du Marabout’ near Chorfa, Algeria. The image, likely a gelatin silver print, shows a gathering of men seated in a field. The tonal range of the photographic print is central to its effect. The sepia tones flatten the field, creating a sense of immense scale as the crowd recedes into the distance. The act of photography itself, a relatively new technology at the time, plays a role here. The camera transforms a social event into a commodity, an object of study and consumption for a European audience. Consider the labor involved, not only in the event itself, but also in the making of the photograph: the photographer's work in capturing the image, the darkroom processes, and the eventual distribution. This highlights how photography, even in its early days, was deeply intertwined with social observation, documentation, and the developing landscape of colonial consumption.