Velden en schuren 1886

Kassian Céphas made this photograph, "Velden en schuren," using an unknown process at an unknown date. It presents a rural landscape, likely in Java, Indonesia, during the late 19th or early 20th century. The image offers a glimpse into the colonial dynamics of the Dutch East Indies. The vast fields and distant sheds evoke the economic exploitation of the land under Dutch rule. The artist, Kassian Cephas, was Javanese, and his work offers a rare perspective from within a colonized society. Photographs like these circulated among colonial administrators and settlers, shaping perceptions of the East Indies as a source of wealth and resources. The very act of photographing and archiving these images was a form of control, reinforcing the power structures of the time. To fully understand this work, researchers can consult colonial archives, historical records, and studies of photography in the Dutch East Indies, which provide valuable insights into the complex social and political context of this image.