Vrouw voor een sesamveld nabij Evamkoyo 1896

This photograph, "Vrouw voor een sesamveld nabij Evamkoyo", was taken by Franz Thonner, during the late 19th or early 20th century. Thonner was part of the colonial project in the Congo, and this image provides a glimpse into the dynamics of that period. The photograph depicts a woman in a sesame field near Evamkoyo, likely engaged in agricultural labor. Consider the historical context: what does it mean for a European man to photograph an African woman working on the land during a time of colonial occupation? How does the act of photographing itself become a form of power, fixing the subject within a specific narrative? The woman's gaze, her posture, all become points of inquiry. Is she performing for the camera? Or is there a sense of resistance, a quiet assertion of her own identity amidst the colonial gaze? Ultimately, this image is a reminder of the complex interplay between power, representation, and identity during the colonial era. It invites us to reflect on the individual stories of those who lived through this period.