The Visual Rhetoric of Colonization : a Historiography of Representation of the Congo Free State

Abstract : - / "During the nineteenth century picturing Africa was an act of appropriation primarily because representations presented the continent itself as a commodity. I propose that the idea of "knowability" through representation is at the heart of colonization and creates the perception of entitlement to Africa. Two principles illustrate the mechanics of this thesis. First, the visual history of central Africa is tied to King Leopold II of Belgium, who enlisted humanitarian outreach as an ideology to promote the expansion of empire. Second, the historiography of Africa is partially derived from representations of colonialism.
Leopold cloaked his interest in Africa in terms of a civilizing force and scientific patronage. Under the pretext of stopping the Arab Slave Trade, he gained a foothold in Africa. Once there, the king transformed the region into a personal enterprise called the Congo Free State (1885-1909). Leopold's presence in the Congo became and remained profound because he promised to create an overseas market for European goods and his idea of restorative justice to enslaved Africans gained public appeal.
The history of the Free State is expressed as written and visual narratives that have independent and co-dependant dimensions. The linear history of European colonialism forms the context of my research or the background against which these images should be viewed. The pictures themselves show the evolution of a "civilizing" mission in Africa and taken together, they form the content. The components of historiography I discuss are grounded in aesthetics and the decolonization of African history including the intellectual and legal appropriation of land, the commoditization of Africa through exploration, the conquest of Africa
memorialized by museums, and the subjugation of Africa through Christianity and forced labor.
Due to Leopold's covert agenda in the Congo, representations from his regime portray real and fictitious histories developing in tandem. The fact that Leopold's philanthropy was a sham is largely absent from literature of the period. Thus, the merit of colonial imagery is its ability to close the gap between symbolic and authentic knowledge about Africa, the forces that swayed public opinion and compelled Leopold to relinquish control of the Congo."
Deze dissertatie is digitaal beschikbaar als: Fowler_Amy_M_The_Visual_Rhetoric_of_Colonization_diss_2005.pdf