Triomfpoort op het Rembrandtplein, 1879 Possibly 1879

Albert Greiner made this photograph of the Triumphal Arch on Rembrandtplein in 1879. This photograph presents an excellent example of how institutions and social conditions shape artistic production. This arch was erected for the return of soldiers from the Dutch-Aceh War. The image creates meaning through the visual codes of triumphal arches which associate the Dutch army with a history of Roman military success, but that is juxtaposed with the social reality of a colonial war. The photograph invites us to consider the politics of imagery, what events get celebrated and what events get forgotten. As historians, we might use sources from the colonial archive to better understand the war itself and to compare the photographic image with other representations of the conflict. We can better appreciate the meaning of art when we analyze the social and institutional context in which it was made.