Portret van een jongen en een meisje bij een riksja, vermoedelijk van de familie Jansen 1891 - 1910

This vintage photograph, attributed to Photographisch Gezelschap, shows a young boy and girl with a rickshaw. It presents a fascinating glimpse into social dynamics, likely dating back to the late 19th or early 20th century. The presence of the rickshaw points to a colonial context, where such vehicles were common for transporting privileged individuals. The children’s formal attire suggests a family of means, possibly European settlers in a colony. This reading invites us to consider the historical relationships between colonizers and colonized populations. The very act of photographing these children with a rickshaw subtly reinforces a social hierarchy. To truly understand the photograph, we'd need to examine studio records, family histories, and colonial archives. Art history reminds us that images are never neutral; they are always entangled in the complex social and institutional narratives of their time.