Portret van twee Indonesische vrouwen 1857 - 1885

This portrait of two Indonesian women was made by Woodbury & Page, likely sometime in the late 19th century. As you can see, the photograph, taken in Java, Indonesia, captures two women seated on the ground, dressed in traditional clothing, with one holding a book. Such images were often produced during the colonial era, serving various purposes: ethnographic documentation, commercial sales to tourists, or even as scientific records. They were, in effect, tools of empire, reinforcing the power dynamics between colonizer and colonized. Consider how the women are presented: their clothing, posture, and the book they hold. Do these elements challenge or reinforce colonial stereotypes? What can we learn from their expressions and body language? These photographs often carry multiple layers of meaning, reflecting both the photographer's intent and the subjects' own agency. To fully understand this image, we can turn to archives, historical accounts, and postcolonial studies. These resources help us examine the photograph's place in the broader context of colonialism and its lasting impact on Indonesian society.