Gezicht op de Sint-Christoffelberg op Curaçao before 1887

This photograph of the Sint-Christoffelberg on Curaçao was taken by Jacobus Rudolphus Neervoort van de Poll. Van de Poll’s choice of subject speaks to a rising interest in landscape photography as both scientific documentation and aesthetic experience. The Sint-Christoffelberg, the island’s highest point, is presented here as both an object of natural beauty and a symbol of geographical exploration. Curaçao, as a Dutch colony, was undergoing significant transformations during Van de Poll’s time. The image might subtly reflect the colonial gaze, framing the landscape as something to be studied, conquered, and possessed. Van de Poll’s work invites us to consider the historical context in which it was made and how the photograph as a medium can both reveal and conceal aspects of colonial power dynamics. Investigating the archives of colonial administration and scientific expeditions can illuminate the image's deeper meanings, showing us how art is often entangled with broader social and institutional forces.