Staande vrouw 1860 - 1890

This is a portrait of a woman, made by Woodbury & Page. Active in the Dutch East Indies in the 19th century, their photographic studio captured images that straddled the line between documentation and exoticism. In this photograph, we see a woman adorned in what appear to be traditional garments, holding a parasol. What does it mean to "capture" someone’s image, especially when that person exists within a power dynamic shaped by colonialism? Woodbury & Page were British photographers working in a Dutch colony, making images of Indonesian people. The gaze of the woman is direct, challenging. Does it subvert the photographer's intentions? Does it reclaim agency in the face of objectification? Perhaps. Consider the emotional weight of being both seen and unseen, of having one's identity mediated through the lens of another. This photograph offers a glimpse into a complex history of representation, identity, and the enduring power of the gaze.