Group of Fellah Children, Esneh, Upper Egypt

February 20th, 1852
Ernest Benecke

Ernest Benecke (1817−1894) visited Upper Egypt, Nubia and Cairo between January and August 1852, before continuing through Syria, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Athens and Florence. His attention was attracted by street musicians, beggars, slave traders and women from a harem, whom he photographed very simply against a white backdrop to make them stand out. Taken with no artifice or embellishment, these portraits convey a sense of freshness and closeness to their subjects. Children are hard to photograph due to their spontaneous vivacity, and especially so when the medium was in its infancy and long exposure times were required, which makes this portrait of a group of Egyptian peasant children (fellaheen) all the rarer and more moving.