Gezicht op de Citadel van Caïro before 1899

This photograph of the Citadel of Cairo was created by Maison Bonfils. The photograph, produced through the silver gelatin process, presents a sharp, detailed view. Photography, by its nature, records light reflecting off surfaces, rendering texture and form. The Bonfils studio, active in the late 19th century, produced countless images of the Middle East, catering to a growing market for exotic views. These photographs are a product of their time, reflecting a Western gaze on the region. The act of photographing itself became a form of cultural consumption, an aesthetic encounter but also a kind of appropriation. The industrialization of photography allowed for mass production, and the widespread distribution of these images facilitated a particular understanding of distant lands. The photograph, then, is not merely a neutral record, but a carefully constructed representation, shaped by the social and economic forces of its era. This piece challenges the traditional distinctions between art and document, urging us to consider the social context in which images are made and consumed.