Portret van Richard Mazer 1883 - 1884

This is Friedrich Carel Hisgen's photographic portrait of Richard Mazer. Hisgen was known for portraiture during a time when photography was increasingly used to document and classify people, often through a colonial lens. This image, part of a series titled "Les Habitants de Suriname," captures Mazer with a direct gaze, his bare chest and simple adornment marking him as 'other' to the European viewer. The series reflects the complicated intersection of race, representation, and power during the late 19th century. Such ethnographic portraits were instrumental in constructing and reinforcing racial hierarchies. While seemingly objective, these photographs were deeply embedded in the social and political contexts of colonialism, influencing how individuals like Richard Mazer were perceived and treated. The act of photographing becomes an act of defining and, in many ways, confining identity. Consider how this image both documents an individual and contributes to broader narratives about race and identity. How does seeing it today, in a museum, change its meaning?