Gezicht op Souda (nu Chania) op Kreta 1898

Johannes Lodewijk Heldring captured this view of Souda, now Chania, in Crete, with a camera, creating an image that invites us to reflect on history, place, and representation. The photograph presents a serene waterscape, yet it is vital to consider the complex history of Crete, marked by various occupations and struggles for independence. During Heldring’s time, Crete was under Ottoman rule, a context that infuses the image with layers of colonial dynamics. The act of photographing a landscape is never neutral. Whose perspective is being privileged? How does the gaze of a Western European photographer shape the narrative of this place and its people? The photograph creates a visual record that carries its own set of cultural and historical baggage. Heldring’s “Gezicht op Souda” encourages us to contemplate how landscapes are not merely aesthetic scenes, but are also imbued with stories of power, resilience, and cultural identity.