Jongen en een waterdrager, Caïro 1888 - 1895

This photograph of a boy and a water carrier in Cairo was taken by Jean Pascal Sébah, a photographer of Lebanese and Greek origin active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Sébah's work provides a window into the orientalist gaze that was prevalent during this period, often exoticizing and romanticizing the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. The image captures a stark contrast between the two figures, likely meant to represent different social strata. The water carrier, a figure of labor, offers water to a boy, who may be from a more affluent background. There's an undeniable tension in how Sébah frames this interaction, hinting at the power dynamics inherent in such a setting, making us think about the economic and social disparities within Cairo at the time. The photograph makes us consider the broader implications of cultural representation and the politics of looking.