Portret van vier onbekende mannen van Khanzada afkomst met attributen voor de landbouw before 1874

Shepherd & Robertson made this photograph of four unknown men of Khanzada descent, sometime in the 19th century. At first glance, this portrait seems to be a straightforward documentation of local life in Rajputana, a region in present-day India. However, looking closer, we can see the complexities inherent in colonial-era photography. The men are posed with agricultural tools, markers of their labor and connection to the land. The gaze and posture of each figure suggests a story of identity and place. How did the subjects perceive the act of being photographed by foreign artists? And how did Shepherd & Robertson navigate the power dynamics of representation? This image subtly hints at the negotiation of identity under colonial rule. It invites us to consider the ways in which photography can both reveal and obscure the narratives of those it captures.