Gezicht op de begraafplaats van Assioet 1870 - 1900

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print, dating from around 1870 to 1900, titled "View of the Cemetery of Assiut." The photographer is unknown, listed only as Peridis. It strikes me as a surprisingly intimate, even domestic, depiction of a space dedicated to the deceased. What stands out to you? Curator: It’s interesting you say “intimate.” As a historian, I immediately consider the gaze of the photographer, likely a European, capturing this scene in Egypt during a period of intense colonial interest. The "intimacy" you perceive could be a projection of the West’s fascination with and, perhaps, misinterpretation of the "Orient." Editor: So, it's less about actual intimacy and more about a projected fantasy? Curator: Precisely. The composition, with the cemetery presented almost as a sprawling urban landscape, raises questions about the politics of representation. How does this image participate in the larger project of constructing an image of Egypt for a Western audience? What’s emphasized? What's left out? Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn't considered. I was initially drawn to the repetitive patterns of the architecture. Are those fortifications, or simply decorative? Curator: That interplay between defense and ornamentation is fascinating and quite common. But I think it important to ask: What power dynamics are at play when a Western photographer chooses to frame a cemetery in this way? Is it about appreciating Islamic art, or about something else? Editor: So the photograph might reflect something less appreciative than, say, an interest in Islamic art? Perhaps colonial power instead? Curator: Precisely. We should be careful to evaluate who benefits from these types of artistic endeavors, particularly given the social, political, and historic landscape of the time. I now see new meaning and can read against the colonialist narrative. Editor: That's really helpful. Thanks. I feel I'm learning to question the image itself rather than taking it at face value.