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Gregor Krause (1883–1959)
Gregor Krause was a German physician, artist, and photographer whose work became instrumental in shaping the Western "imaginary" of Bali in the early 20th century. His photographs are often cited as the primary catalyst for the island's emergence as a global destination for artists and tourists.
Krause served as a military doctor in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia). He was stationed in Bali (specifically Bangli) between 1912 and 1914. During his time in Bali, he produced an extensive body of work documenting the landscape, religious ceremonies, and the people. Upon returning to Germany, he published "Bali," a two-volume set featuring roughly 400 photographs. It was an immediate sensation in Europe, presenting an idealized, "Eden-like" vision of the island that had previously been unknown to many in the West.
Krause’s work is characterized by a Pictorialist aesthetic. His images focused heavily on the aesthetic beauty of the Balinese people and the lushness of the environment, often stripping away the complexities of Dutch colonial rule. This created a lasting stereotype of Bali as an untouched, primitive paradise.
His book is credited with inspiring later waves of Western visitors, including the famous painter Walter Spies and anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, who moved to the island in the late 1920s and 30s.
His photos provide one of the most comprehensive visual records of pre-1920s Balinese life and traditional dress before the heavy influence of Western tourism took hold. Original editions of his 1920 books are now highly sought-after collectors' items and are held in major museum collections globally as foundational texts of Southeast Asian ethnographic photography.
Resources
Short essay: Dr Krause, Inspired Amateur, Gael Newton 2014
Short essay: Close-Up: Gregor Krause’s Bali and Borneo Anneke Groeneveld 2014
A selection of photographs by Gregor Krause from the 1921 publication BALI
Gregor Krause’s Borneo Portfolios (published 1927)
photo-web contents page
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