Gezicht op een kraterbekken in de zee bij Totoya before 1899

This monochromatic image captures a crater basin in the sea near Totoya, rendered by Maximilian Agassiz. It's likely from the late 19th or early 20th century, a period marked by increasing Western exploration and documentation of the Pacific. Agassiz, as a Western artist, approaches this landscape through a lens shaped by colonialism and scientific curiosity. Consider the act of "looking into" – it suggests a probing, almost invasive gaze upon a landscape and culture not his own. The serene depiction of the Fijian landscape belies the complex history of colonial encounters and power dynamics inherent in such expeditions. How might the people native to Totoya have perceived this site? What stories and meanings are absent from Agassiz's frame? These are the questions we might ask ourselves as we consider the emotional distance and the historical context embedded in this seemingly straightforward image. It reflects both the allure and the inherent biases of its time.