De Kali Mas 1876 - 1884

Herman Salzwedel made this photograph, ‘De Kali Mas,’ using chemical processes on paper. Photography, even more than painting, is closely tied to industrial modes of production. Photographic paper has to be manufactured, distributed, and sold. The chemicals for developing images are an entire industry unto themselves. The camera, though a relatively simple device, relies on precision tooling. All of these things speak to a level of technological advancement, and economic infrastructure. The image itself, depicting a tree-lined canal, offers us some clues about labor. Who maintained the trees on the bank? Who dredged the canal, or built the stone edging? These are the kinds of questions we can ask when we consider an artwork in the context of the work that made it possible. By taking a closer look at the image, we can appreciate the social and economic factors that shaped it, challenging traditional notions of fine art and craft.