Koning Leopold II van België bezoekt de wereldtentoonstelling van Antwerpen 1894

This photograph by Th. Lantin captures King Leopold II's visit to the Antwerp World Fair in 1894. Photography was a rapidly evolving technology at this time, deeply entwined with industrial progress and its representation. Consider the material reality of this image, made through a complex chemical process, requiring both skilled labor and industrial production. Photography, unlike painting or sculpture, offered the seeming promise of objective truth, capturing a moment in time with mechanical precision. But what does this image really tell us? The controlled composition, the carefully arranged crowds, the prominent display of national symbols – all point to a carefully constructed narrative of royal authority and national pride. The photograph becomes a tool for projecting power, obscuring the harsh realities of Leopold's colonial exploitation in the Congo. By examining the materials and techniques of this photograph, we can begin to understand the complex relationship between technology, power, and representation in the late 19th century. It reminds us to look beyond the surface of an image and consider the social and political forces that shaped its creation.