Gezicht op de Tempel van Horus in Edfu c. 1870 - 1890

This photograph of the Temple of Horus in Edfu was taken by C. & G. Zangaki. The gelatin silver printing process involved coating paper with light-sensitive silver halides suspended in gelatin. The resulting image is a study in light and texture. The stone walls of the temple rise from the sandy ground, their surfaces worn smooth by centuries of wind and weather. The photographic technique captures the granular quality, transforming the ancient site into a tangible presence. In their time, the Zangaki brothers produced numerous images of Egypt for the tourist market, and so their images can be seen as documents of nineteenth-century European encounters with other cultures, raising complex questions about labor, politics, and consumption. When we consider the photograph not just as a pretty picture, but as a product of its time, we can begin to appreciate the complex layers of meaning embedded within it. It challenges our assumptions about art, craft, and the role of the artist in society.