Portret van Paulus Lijkwan en zijn vrouw Elisabeth Lith 1900 - 1910

Eugen Klein captured this portrait of Paulus Lijkwan and his wife Elisabeth Lith with photography. This image opens a window onto the complexities of identity and representation within colonial contexts. The photograph presents us with a mixed-race couple, challenging the strict racial hierarchies imposed by colonial powers. Elisabeth's elaborate traditional dress speaks to cultural pride and resistance against assimilation, yet the very act of posing for a photograph taken by a European artist implicates them in the colonial gaze. How might they have felt, caught between asserting their identity and navigating the power dynamics of the time? In their stance and attire, the subjects negotiate visibility and cultural identity. The photograph therefore captures a moment in time of cultural exchange, personal narratives, and the broader dynamics of colonial history.