Composite monument of uncertain background (former Lichte collection). Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta district, D.I. Yogyakarta province, various periods. Possibly 1865 - 1867

Isidore Kinsbergen made this photograph of a composite monument in Yogyakarta at an uncertain date. This image speaks to the colonial-era fascination with Southeast Asian antiquities. Kinsbergen, a photographer of Dutch-Jewish origin, worked extensively for the Sultanate of Yogyakarta and the Dutch colonial administration. The monument itself is a pastiche of different architectural elements. It's called ‘composite’ because of the use of different elements put together. Kinsbergen’s photographic work contributed to a growing sense of Indonesian cultural heritage, but one framed through the lens of colonial interests. To truly understand such a photograph, we need to consider the photographer's background, the political context of Dutch colonialism, and the emerging field of archaeology. Research into colonial archives, travel accounts, and early archaeological reports can shed light on the complex social dynamics captured in this seemingly straightforward image. The monument, like this photograph, becomes a site where different histories and power dynamics converge.