Basreliëf met Krishna aan de oostzijde van Candi Panataran Possibly 1867

This photograph shows a bas-relief depicting Krishna on the east side of Candi Panataran, and was captured by Isidore Kinsbergen, a Dutch photographer active in the mid-19th century. Kinsbergen's work gives us a glimpse into the visual culture of the Dutch East Indies, a period marked by colonial encounters and the construction of knowledge about the colonized world. Consider the role of photography during this era, which served as a tool for documenting, classifying, and often exoticizing indigenous cultures and landscapes. Here, the bas-relief of Krishna, a central figure in Hinduism, stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Java, Indonesia. Envision the stories and mythologies embodied in this relief and the intersection between religious expression, artistic representation, and colonial observation. The image invites us to reflect on the power dynamics inherent in the act of photographing cultural artifacts and on the complex interplay between representation, identity, and historical context.