Monument ter herinnering aan Napoleon Eugène Lodewijk Bonaparte in Zuid-Afrika c. 1880 - 1900

This photograph depicts the grave of Napoleon Eugène Louis Bonaparte in South Africa. The stark monument sits in the foreground surrounded by rough stones, marked by a simple cross. The image embodies the complex colonial history of 19th-century South Africa, with its entanglement of European ambition and the subjugation of indigenous populations. A bare-chested Black man stands beside the grave, his gaze averted, which offers a poignant reminder of the unequal power dynamics at play. His presence invites us to consider the stories and perspectives of those who were often marginalized in the dominant narratives of the time. What does it mean to memorialize a European prince on African soil, and who is included or excluded in this act of remembrance?