Veld met grazende dieren 1886

"Veld met grazende dieren," or "Field with Grazing Animals," is a photograph by Kassian Céphas. He made it in Java at a time when the Dutch colonial presence was deeply embedded in Indonesian society. Céphas, as a Javanese photographer, occupied a unique position. He was working within a medium introduced by the colonizers. He produced ethnographic and commercial images during this period, often documenting the lives and landscapes of Java. Look at the way he frames this seemingly simple scene of animals grazing. The rows of palm trees create a backdrop that is as much about the exotic allure of the colony as it is about the everyday life of the island. There's a quietness, an emotional resonance, in how Céphas captures this intersection of the pastoral and the colonial. This challenges traditional, orientalist narratives through its nuanced and personal perspective. The photograph prompts us to reflect on whose stories are told, and how, within the broader context of colonial history.