Temple of Edfu 1867

Curator: Take a moment to consider this image from 1867: Gustave Le Gray’s "Temple of Edfu," now housed here at the Met. Editor: Well, the first thing that strikes me is the stillness. It feels heavy, monumental… but also, somehow, fragile, like it could all crumble if you shouted too loud. Curator: Le Gray’s work occupies this fascinating intersection of art, documentation, and politics. The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, was a popular subject for early photographers venturing into Egypt, drawn by the colonial interest of the time. Editor: Do you feel it was more documentation than art? Because to me, the light – the way it carves out those columns and throws deep shadows – that’s pure drama. And those tiny figures in the foreground! They feel like they are swallowed by history itself. Curator: It is about representation, about access. Le Gray, using albumen prints and perhaps a waxed-paper negative, controlled light and exposure to produce these scenes from this historical site. What this implies is not just the portrayal of monuments, but also the control of narratives around Egypt’s ancient power. Editor: So, it's more than just a pretty picture then. These images of Egypt became part of how Europe understood – and controlled, perhaps? – that part of the world. I am captivated by how different it all must have looked at the time, or how many things went into constructing these photographs! Curator: Precisely. The composition, with its stark contrasts and monumental scale, reflects that drive to categorize, to archive, but perhaps not understand completely. It becomes an exotic vista filtered through a colonial lens. Editor: So, beyond the impressive architecture and careful composition, Le Gray's photograph holds layers of meaning – of power, representation, and the sometimes problematic act of looking itself. It's something to contemplate! Curator: Indeed. When viewing this work by Le Gray, remember that this historical landscape prompts a crucial and difficult conversation around the nature of representation.