Portret van een groep onbekende Congolezen tijdens de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1894 in Antwerpen, België 1894

Hippolyte Wouwermans made this photograph of a group of Congolese men at the 1894 World’s Fair in Antwerp, Belgium. These fairs were displays of imperial power, showcasing colonized peoples as evidence of European dominance. In this image, the men are dressed in a mix of European and Congolese clothing, posed formally against a painted backdrop of an idealized African landscape. The photograph embodies the complex power dynamics of the colonial era. Belgium, under King Leopold II, brutally exploited the Congo for its resources, a reality starkly at odds with the image of civilization and progress presented at the fair. Further research into the archives of the World’s Fair might reveal more about the circumstances in which this photo was taken, and perhaps even the identities of these men. It serves as a reminder of the importance of historical context in understanding art, and the role of the historian in uncovering the often-uncomfortable truths behind such images.