Openluchtmarkt op een veld in Marokko c. 1880 - 1910

Antonio Cavilla made this photograph, titled "Openluchtmarkt op een veld in Marokko," using the typical photographic materials of his time. The photograph's material qualities—its black and white tonality, its capturing of light and shadow—highlight the scene's bustling energy. Cavilla's choice of photography as a medium is itself telling. Unlike painting, photography offered a seemingly objective record of the world. Here, it captures a vibrant market scene in Morocco, complete with people, animals, and goods for sale. The very act of photographing such a scene underscores the colonial gaze, in which Western artists sought to document and, in a sense, possess images of foreign lands and cultures. The photograph is a product of a specific technology, but also of a particular social and political context. Considering the materials, making, and context allows us to fully appreciate the photograph's significance, moving beyond simple aesthetics to engage with the complex power dynamics at play.