Twee sculpturen van sfinxen 1887 - 1910

Editor: This photograph by G. Lekegian & Co., dating between 1887 and 1910, features two sphinx sculptures. There's a certain somber quality to it, a stillness that really makes you contemplate the weight of history. How do you interpret this work, especially given its photographic medium? Curator: What strikes me is how photography, emerging as a technology, grapples with representing power structures embedded within ancient iconography. Sphinxes, traditionally gatekeepers and symbols of royal authority, are here re-presented. How does the photograph mediate our relationship to these symbols? It raises questions about access, cultural appropriation, and the democratization of ancient power through reproduction. Editor: That’s interesting. It almost feels like the photo strips some of the power away, makes them objects for us to study rather than revere. Curator: Exactly. And who is “us”? This image circulates within a specific colonial context. Egypt at the time was experiencing increased Western intervention. Consider how photography served as a tool for cataloging, classifying, and ultimately controlling narratives about Egyptian history and identity. Who is taking these photos, and for what audience? Editor: So, it's not just about the sphinxes themselves, but also about how the photograph participates in a larger power dynamic. Curator: Precisely. We must consider how this visual representation interacts with socio-political narratives. Thinking about whose gaze is prioritized—then and now—helps us deconstruct the layers of meaning embedded within this image. Editor: I see the photo now as much more than just a record. It’s a complex statement about power and representation. Thank you! Curator: Indeed. Art, and especially historical depictions like these, are so relevant when we see how their representations shift across time and place, shaped by the dynamics that play out between them.