Portret van James Bowen before 1870

This undated portrait of James Bowen by an anonymous artist sits within a larger historical document. Bowen's serious gaze, framed by an oval, evokes the formal portraiture common amongst the elite. But let's consider what surrounds it: documentation of land transfer from Indigenous peoples to colonizers. The text speaks of allegiance to King James and the establishment of Christianity. Bowen, likely a figure of authority within this context, is thus implicated in the history of colonial expansion and the displacement of Indigenous populations. The portrait, in this context, becomes more than just an image of an individual. It is a symbol of power, embedded within a narrative of dispossession. What does it mean to memorialize a figure like Bowen within a document that justifies the seizure of land and the undermining of Indigenous sovereignty? This image isn't just a portrait; it's a historical artifact, revealing uncomfortable truths about the foundations upon which certain societies were built.