Portret van een onbekende vrouw met bloemen before 1898

This photographic study of an unknown woman with flowers was made in the late 19th or early 20th century, a time when photography was rapidly evolving. It seems the image was captured within the colonial context of the Photographic and Lithographic Office of the Survey of India in Calcutta. At first glance, the woman may seem like a classical figure, draped in what appears to be a Greco-Roman style garment. However, the flowers in her hands offer another narrative, perhaps that of local customs, intertwined with the colonial gaze. This photograph offers a glimpse into the complex dynamics of cultural exchange and representation during the colonial era. This is where identities and histories of both colonizer and colonized become deeply entangled. It leaves us with the emotional resonance of a moment frozen in time, inviting us to contemplate the narratives that lie beneath the surface of this elegant study.