Twee slapende Japanse vrouwen 1867 - 1868

Here we see ‘Two Sleeping Japanese Women’ by Felice Beato, a photograph now held at the Rijksmuseum. The eye is drawn to the composition, where the curve of the sleeping figures contrasts with the angular lines of the tatami mat and the lantern in the background. Beato’s choice of sepia tones softens the image, lending a dreamlike quality that seems to freeze the figures in time. The scene, staged as it may be, invites us to consider the relationship between photography and truth. In its historical context, this photograph participates in a Western fascination with the ‘exotic Orient’. Beato skillfully manipulates the composition, light, and shadow, presenting a constructed reality that reveals more about the Western gaze than the reality of Japanese life. The formal elements serve not just to depict a scene, but to encode cultural narratives and power dynamics.