Delhi, Lahore Gate 1863 - 1866

Curator: Here, we have Samuel Bourne's photograph, "Delhi, Lahore Gate." The image, now at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a stark yet compelling architectural study. Editor: The sheer scale is the first thing that strikes me. It feels monumental, and the sepia tones lend a sense of timelessness and gravity. Curator: Bourne was prolific in documenting India under British rule. Notice how this gate served as a crucial entry point, symbolic of power and control. The labor involved in building a structure of this size is also worth noting. Editor: Yes, and the composition emphasizes that control—the strong horizontal lines, the imposing symmetry. The light creates geometric forms that suggest something of a rational order being imposed upon the landscape. Curator: Bourne’s work can be considered part of the larger colonial project, one where the land is documented, categorized, and, in a sense, consumed through the photographic process itself. Editor: The image's formality and almost objective presentation hides layers of complexity about the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. It's a powerful, visually arresting, and subtly disturbing piece. Curator: Exactly, a good reminder of the complexities of visual representation during times of imperial expansion.