Hiërogliefen op de buitenmuur van het tempelcomplex te Denderea 1857

This is Francis Frith’s photograph of the hieroglyphs on the outer wall of the temple complex at Dendera. Taken sometime in the mid-19th century, the photograph captures a moment of intense colonial interest in Ancient Egypt. Frith was part of a wave of European photographers who traveled to the Middle East and North Africa, documenting archaeological sites and landscapes. These photographs not only fueled Western fascination with the "Orient" but also played a role in shaping perceptions and narratives about non-Western cultures. This photograph reflects a colonial gaze which sought to capture and categorize the mysteries of Ancient Egypt. Hieroglyphs, once a vibrant form of communication, become silent, aestheticized objects under Frith's lens. They are flattened and framed for a European audience eager to consume images of a distant and exoticized land. The photograph then is not simply a neutral record but a product of its time, laden with the complexities of cultural exchange, power dynamics, and the colonial project.