Gezicht op het plein voor het Boulaq Museum in Caïro, Egypte, met aan de linkerkant de Nijl before 1871

This evocative photograph depicts the square in front of the Boulaq Museum in Cairo, with the Nile on the left, by Hippolyte Délié. The photograph invites us to consider the intertwined histories of Egypt and Europe, and the dynamic of cultural exchange and power. This image exists in a complex colonial context. It invites us to reflect on whose stories are being told, and from what perspective. Whose gaze are we adopting when we look at this image? What is included, and perhaps more importantly, what is left out? Consider this image as a historical document, bearing witness to a moment in time, but also as a carefully constructed representation. How does this piece reflect the complex interplay between personal vision and broader cultural narratives?