Portret van de heer Wagner en mevrouw Berrett (Zuid-Afrika) 1899 - 1900

This photograph by Jan van Hoepen captures Mr. Wagner and Mrs. Berrett in South Africa. The rifles held by the men are more than mere hunting tools, they carry the weight of conquest and dominion, echoing the symbolism of weapons in ancient Roman art. Consider the Roman sculptures where emperors are depicted with spears, symbols of power and control. Here, the rifles serve a similar purpose, representing authority in a colonial context. This recalls the psychological impact of such imagery, instilling a sense of dominance but also, perhaps, subconscious anxieties about maintaining control. The images are not static. The motifs resonate and transform as they resurface through time, carrying layers of historical and psychological weight. These symbols are cultural threads that bind the past and present.