Negen afgietsels van antieke bustes waaronder Isis, Apollo, Ariadne en de Juno Ludovisi before 1874

This is H.G. Smith’s photograph, 'Negen afgietsels van antieke bustes waaronder Isis, Apollo, Ariadne en de Juno Ludovisi', featuring nine plaster cast busts of ancient figures. The photograph creates a dialogue between classical antiquity and the Victorian era. In the 19th century, plaster casts made ancient art accessible, spreading ideals of beauty and civilization. However, this also reinforced a Eurocentric view of art history, sidelining other cultural narratives. The busts in the image predominantly represent Greco-Roman figures, with the notable inclusion of Isis, an Egyptian goddess. This juxtaposition invites reflection on the construction of a Western identity in relation to the “Orient”. The whiteness of the plaster is a visual shorthand, suggesting purity and an erasure of history. Ultimately, Smith’s photograph serves as a reminder of the complexities inherent in our engagement with the past and the importance of continuously questioning whose stories we amplify.