Boot op de Nijl met gehakseld stro 1867 - 1885

'Boot op de Nijl met gehakseld stro' is a photograph taken by Félix Bonfils, a French photographer, in the late 19th century. Bonfils, like many European photographers of his time, traveled to the Middle East, capturing images that catered to Western audiences' fascination with the "Orient." This photograph presents a boat laden with chopped straw on the Nile, portraying a moment of everyday life in Egypt. Yet, it's crucial to consider the power dynamics inherent in such images. Bonfils, as a Westerner, was framing and defining Egyptian life for a European gaze. The photograph exoticizes the scene, subtly reinforcing colonial narratives of the East as timeless and unchanging. Who was the person standing on the straw? How did they feel about being captured in this image, likely without their consent, and then circulated as a representation of their culture? The photograph invites us to reflect on the complex interplay of representation, power, and identity.