Sultan Hassan-moskee te Caïro 1888 - 1895

Editor: So, here we have Jean Pascal Sébah's "Sultan Hassan-moskee te Caïro," taken between 1888 and 1895, a gelatin silver print held at the Rijksmuseum. It feels very still, almost like a stage set, but the detail is incredible. What jumps out at you? Curator: The stillness is right—it’s that liminal space between documenting a place and imbuing it with…well, the imagined “Orient” of the period. Notice how the human figures are quite small in proportion to the architecture. They’re almost swallowed by it. What does that evoke for you? Editor: A sense of the timelessness of the building, maybe? That people are fleeting, but the mosque remains? Curator: Precisely! And it's a clever trick, isn't it? Sébah uses this play with scale to heighten the monumentality of Islamic architecture, feeding into European perceptions of the 'exotic' East. I also find the tones here interesting – this hazy light lends it a slightly romantic air. Almost like a dream of Cairo. Editor: A manufactured dream, though. Knowing that this was created for a Western audience, how does that change how we view the mosque itself? Curator: It makes me wonder what was left *out* of the frame, what parts of Cairo's vibrant, messy reality didn’t fit the photographer's, or rather, the market's, idea of beauty. It invites us to look critically not just at the subject, but also at the gaze behind the lens. And perhaps, at ourselves too. What expectations do we bring to this image? Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to think about concerning representation and the power dynamics embedded within these seemingly straightforward historical documents. It also prompts a revisit to this fascinating mosque for a real and vivid experience of the city. Curator: Couldn’t agree more! There’s always more to the story.