Staatsiefoto van Jhr. Mr. B.C. de Jonge, gouverneur van Nederlands-Indië, en mw. A.C. de Jonge - baronesse van Wassenaer aan Semarang Possibly 1932 - 1939

Editor: This gelatin silver print is titled "Staatsiefoto van Jhr. Mr. B.C. de Jonge, gouverneur van Nederlands-Indië, en mw. A.C. de Jonge - baronesse van Wassenaer aan Semarang", possibly taken between 1932 and 1939 by Otto Hisgen. It has a formal, staged feeling to it. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The photograph certainly exudes a sense of rigid formality, but it's precisely that rigidity which speaks volumes. Look at the composition – the clear segregation between the European colonizers and the indigenous population, visually reinforcing a power dynamic. The photograph, in essence, documents a performance, a carefully constructed display of colonial authority. Editor: It definitely feels posed. There’s a stiffness, and as you point out, a division. So, how do we move past the surface level reading? Curator: Ask yourself, what isn't being said? Consider the photograph as a tool, consciously employed to propagate a certain image of Dutch colonial rule, not just in the eyes of the colonized, but for audiences back in Europe as well. Think about the implicit messages embedded within the carefully chosen attire, the posture, and the setting. Where is this taking place, what sort of encounter is documented? Editor: So, it's not just a portrait, but a statement? Is the act of taking the picture almost more important than the picture itself? Curator: Precisely. The photograph, far from being a neutral record, is an active participant in shaping and solidifying the existing colonial structure. How do you think this image functioned for the Dutch audience back home? What narratives did it perpetuate or obscure? Editor: I suppose it showed a controlled, ordered colony... a successful enterprise. It hid a lot of complexity, to say the least. It’s amazing how a seemingly simple photo can be so loaded. Curator: Indeed. It compels us to deconstruct the layers of meaning and consider the unspoken narratives of power, privilege, and subjugation. Images like this remind us of our need for critical examination of history, from different points of view.