Portret van een Annamitische priester te Ho Chi Minh stad 1867 - 1880

This photograph, taken in Ho Chi Minh City, portrays an Annamite priest, captured by G.R. Lambert & Co. The image offers a glimpse into French colonial Vietnam. The priest is portrayed with a composed gaze, holding a fan, and seated in a manner that merges local tradition with colonial influence. The photograph operates within a complex power dynamic, subtly highlighting the intersection of cultural identity and colonial subjugation. Consider how the photographer frames the priest, using a Western portrait style. The photograph may have been intended for a Western audience, who were eager to consume exoticized images of the East. What does it mean for this man, devoted to his spiritual practice, to be frozen in time through the lens of the colonizer? What aspects of his identity are lost or misrepresented? This image invites us to contemplate the intricacies of identity in a colonial context and how photography played a role in shaping perceptions of culture during this period.