Deel van een toegangspoort te Karnak c. 1875 - 1900

Maison Bonfils produced this photograph of a section of a gateway at Karnak, some time in the late 19th century. The image offers us a glimpse into the burgeoning field of Egyptology and the West's fascination with ancient Egyptian monuments. These monuments, like the Karnak temple complex, weren't just objects of aesthetic admiration, but also became symbols of colonial power and knowledge. Think about it: photography itself, a relatively new technology at the time, was being used to document and, in a sense, possess these ancient sites. The presence of a figure in the photograph, likely a local, further emphasizes this dynamic between the Western gaze and the Egyptian landscape. It prompts us to consider the politics of representation and the ways in which the act of photographing can reinforce existing power structures. To fully appreciate this image, delve into the archives of early photography, colonial histories, and the development of Egyptology as a discipline. It is a reminder that even seemingly straightforward documentation is deeply embedded in social and institutional contexts.