Kassian Cephas
Encyclopedia
Kassian Cephas was a Javanese photographer of the court of the Yogyakarta Sultanate
. He was the first indigenous person from Indonesia
to become a professional photographer and was trained at the request of Sultan Hamengkubuwana VI
(r. 1855–1877). After becoming a court photographer in as early 1871, he began working on portrait photography
for members of the royal family, as well as documentary work for the Dutch
Archaeological Union (). Cephas was recognized for his contributions to preserving Java
's cultural heritage through membership in the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies and an honorary gold medal of the Order of Orange-Nassau
. Cephas and his wife Dina Rakijah raised four children. Their eldest son Sem continued the family's photography business until his own death in 1918.
missionary Christina Petronella Philips-Steven and followed her to nearby Bagelen, Purworejo
. He was baptized there on 27 December 1860 at the age of fifteen and took the name of Cephas, the Aramaic
equivalent of Saint Peter
's name, as his baptismal name. He began using Cephas as a family name following the baptism.
and court photographer of the Yogyakarta Sultanate
. Cephas' training was conducted at the request of Sultan
Hamengkubuwana VI
, who noted his talent for photography. He became the appointed court painter and photographer as early as 1871.
Cephas' studio was located on the second floor of the building where he and his wife lived in Yogyakarta's Lodji Ketjil Wetan area, now known as Major Suryotomo Street. His photography business was not the only one established in the area during this time period. Aside from portrait photography
, Cephas also produced many works on buildings and ancient monuments. This included photographs of the Taman Sari Water Castle
(1884) for the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences
.
prints of the art of Hindu
Javanese dance
s. Groneman wished to generate interest in this culture in the Netherlands
and requested permission from Sultan Hamengkubuwana VII
for Cephas to photograph the dance scenes. The publication was originally prepared by the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies, but the high cost of collotype prints forced the institute to abandon it. In keeping with the technological advances of photography, Cephas bought a new camera in 1886 which enabled him to capture pictures in 1/400th of a second. This allowed the subjects to be photographed more quickly rather than having to remain still for several moments. These pictures were often presented as farewell presents to European elites when they left Yogyakarta to return to Europe and to Dutch civil servants.
In 1889, the Archaeological Union () began efforts to study and preserve monuments of the Hindu Javanese civilization in Central Java
. One of the locations having high priority in the union's efforts was the temple of Prambanan
, part of the larger complex attributed to the legend of Loro Jonggrang
. Cephas was assigned to photograph the site, while his eldest son Sem drew the buildings' profiles and ground plans. Groneman submitted the photographs and descriptions made by Cephas to the Royal Institute in 1891, but it would not be published until 1893 because of the high reproduction costs. The final publication included 62 collotypes depicting Prambanan and the surrounding temples.
Cephas was also credited with photographing the Borobudur
temple complex after its hidden base was discovered in 1885 by the union's first chairman. The base was briefly uncovered in 1890 to be photographed and then covered again in 1891. Because Cephas only received one-third of the original subsidy from the government, he was not able to complete the 300 photographs calculated to be needed for the project. Each photographic plate
would have required one-half hour to develop with the dry gelatin process for a total of 150 hours. In all, only 160 segments of the base's relief
s were photographed, and an additional four photographs were made to provide a general overview for the site. The series was published 30 years later by the Royal Institute in a collotype collection.
's King Chulalongkorn
to Yogyakarta. As a token of gratitude, the king presented him with a case of three jeweled buttons.
Groneman and Cephas worked together for the final time in 1899 to document the four-year commemoration of Hamengkunegara III's accession to the throne as Crown Prince of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. The event's preparation took one and a half years, and a theatrical performance lasting four days was attended by 23,000 to 36,000 spectators daily. A blue velvet book covered with gold and diamonds covering the performance was presented as a gift on the occasion of the wedding of Queen Wilhelmina
and Prince Henry of the Netherlands
in 1901. On the occasion of Wilhelmina
's 21st birthday later that year, Cephas was awarded with an honorary gold medal of the Order of Orange-Nassau
for his work to portray and preserve Java's cultural heritage.
Yogyakarta Sultanate
Yogyakarta Sultanate is a Javanese monarchy in the province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.-History:...
. He was the first indigenous person from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
to become a professional photographer and was trained at the request of Sultan Hamengkubuwana VI
Hamengkubuwana VI
Hamengkubuwana VI was the sixth sultan of Yogyakarta, reigning from 1855 to 1877.-Notes:...
(r. 1855–1877). After becoming a court photographer in as early 1871, he began working on portrait photography
Portrait photography
Portrait photography or portraiture is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people , in which the face and expression is predominant. The objective is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the subject...
for members of the royal family, as well as documentary work for the Dutch
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
Archaeological Union (). Cephas was recognized for his contributions to preserving Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
's cultural heritage through membership in the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies and an honorary gold medal of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
. Cephas and his wife Dina Rakijah raised four children. Their eldest son Sem continued the family's photography business until his own death in 1918.
Early life
Kassian Cephas was born in Yogyakarta to the Javanese couple of Kartodrono and Minah. As a youth, Cephas became a pupil of Protestant ChristianProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
missionary Christina Petronella Philips-Steven and followed her to nearby Bagelen, Purworejo
Purworejo Regency
Purworejo is a regency in the southern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Purworejo.- History :The history of Purworejo is first recorded on Prasasti Kayu Ara Hiwang in 5th october 901, which is being found in Boro Wetan Village....
. He was baptized there on 27 December 1860 at the age of fifteen and took the name of Cephas, the Aramaic
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
equivalent of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
's name, as his baptismal name. He began using Cephas as a family name following the baptism.
Photography career
Upon Cephas' return to Yogyakarta in the early 1860s, he began training under Simon Willem Camerik, a member of the civil militiaSchutterij
Schutterij refers to a voluntary city guard or citizen militia in the medieval and early modern Netherlands, intended to protect the town or city from attack and act in case of revolt or fire. Their training grounds were often on open spaces within the city, near the city walls, but, when the...
and court photographer of the Yogyakarta Sultanate
Yogyakarta Sultanate
Yogyakarta Sultanate is a Javanese monarchy in the province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.-History:...
. Cephas' training was conducted at the request of Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Hamengkubuwana VI
Hamengkubuwana VI
Hamengkubuwana VI was the sixth sultan of Yogyakarta, reigning from 1855 to 1877.-Notes:...
, who noted his talent for photography. He became the appointed court painter and photographer as early as 1871.
Cephas' studio was located on the second floor of the building where he and his wife lived in Yogyakarta's Lodji Ketjil Wetan area, now known as Major Suryotomo Street. His photography business was not the only one established in the area during this time period. Aside from portrait photography
Portrait photography
Portrait photography or portraiture is the capture by means of photography of the likeness of a person or a small group of people , in which the face and expression is predominant. The objective is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the subject...
, Cephas also produced many works on buildings and ancient monuments. This included photographs of the Taman Sari Water Castle
Taman Sari (Yogyakarta)
Taman Sari also known as Taman Sari Water Castle is a site of a former royal garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It is located about 2 km south within the grounds of the Kraton, Yogyakarta, Indonesia...
(1884) for the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences
Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences
The Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences was a Dutch learned society in Batavia .The society was founded in 1778 by naturalist Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher as the Bataviaasch Genootschap der Konsten en Wetenschappen , and assumed its current name in 1910...
.
Professional works
His work first appeared for a wider public in 1888 in the publication In den Kedaton te Jogjåkartå by Isaäc Groneman. The book included 16 collotypeCollotype
Collotype is a dichromate-based photographic process invented by Alphonse Poitevin in 1856. and was used for large volume mechanical printing before the existence of cheaper offset lithography. It can produce results difficult to distinguish from metal-based photographic prints because of its...
prints of the art of Hindu
Hinduism in Java
Hinduism has historically been a major religious and cultural influence in Java. In recent years, it has also been enjoying something of a resurgence, particularly in the eastern part of the island.-Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms:...
Javanese dance
Javanese dance
Javanese dance is the dances and art forms that were created and influenced by Javanese culture. Javanese dance is usually associated with courtly, refined and sophisticated culture of the Javanese kratons, such as the Bedhaya and Srimpi dance...
s. Groneman wished to generate interest in this culture in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and requested permission from Sultan Hamengkubuwana VII
Hamengkubuwana VII
Hamengkubuwana VII was the seventh sultan of Yogyakarta, reigning from December 22, 1877 to January 29, 1921.-See also:*Hamengkubuwana...
for Cephas to photograph the dance scenes. The publication was originally prepared by the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies, but the high cost of collotype prints forced the institute to abandon it. In keeping with the technological advances of photography, Cephas bought a new camera in 1886 which enabled him to capture pictures in 1/400th of a second. This allowed the subjects to be photographed more quickly rather than having to remain still for several moments. These pictures were often presented as farewell presents to European elites when they left Yogyakarta to return to Europe and to Dutch civil servants.
In 1889, the Archaeological Union () began efforts to study and preserve monuments of the Hindu Javanese civilization in Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
. One of the locations having high priority in the union's efforts was the temple of Prambanan
Prambanan
Prambanan is a ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator , the Sustainer and the Destroyer...
, part of the larger complex attributed to the legend of Loro Jonggrang
Loro Jonggrang (Legend)
The Legend of Loro Jonggrang is a Javanese popular legend from Central Java telling the story of love and betrayal, the knight and the cursed princess...
. Cephas was assigned to photograph the site, while his eldest son Sem drew the buildings' profiles and ground plans. Groneman submitted the photographs and descriptions made by Cephas to the Royal Institute in 1891, but it would not be published until 1893 because of the high reproduction costs. The final publication included 62 collotypes depicting Prambanan and the surrounding temples.
Cephas was also credited with photographing the Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues...
temple complex after its hidden base was discovered in 1885 by the union's first chairman. The base was briefly uncovered in 1890 to be photographed and then covered again in 1891. Because Cephas only received one-third of the original subsidy from the government, he was not able to complete the 300 photographs calculated to be needed for the project. Each photographic plate
Photographic plate
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as a means of photography. A light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. This form of photographic material largely faded from the consumer market in the early years of the 20th century, as more convenient and less fragile...
would have required one-half hour to develop with the dry gelatin process for a total of 150 hours. In all, only 160 segments of the base's relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
s were photographed, and an additional four photographs were made to provide a general overview for the site. The series was published 30 years later by the Royal Institute in a collotype collection.
International recognition
Following the completion of the Borobudur project, Cephas was appointed as an "extraordinary member" of the Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences for his works as a "photographer and practitioner of Indies archaeology". Several years later, he was nominated for membership in the Royal Institute in recognition of his work with the Archaeological Union. Cephas accepted the nomination in a letter dated 15 June 1896. Later that year, he photographed a visit by ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
's King Chulalongkorn
Chulalongkorn
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama V was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was known to the Siamese of his time as Phra Phuttha Chao Luang . He is considered one of the greatest kings of Siam...
to Yogyakarta. As a token of gratitude, the king presented him with a case of three jeweled buttons.
Groneman and Cephas worked together for the final time in 1899 to document the four-year commemoration of Hamengkunegara III's accession to the throne as Crown Prince of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. The event's preparation took one and a half years, and a theatrical performance lasting four days was attended by 23,000 to 36,000 spectators daily. A blue velvet book covered with gold and diamonds covering the performance was presented as a gift on the occasion of the wedding of Queen Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
and Prince Henry of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1901. On the occasion of Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
Wilhelmina was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
's 21st birthday later that year, Cephas was awarded with an honorary gold medal of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau is a military and civil order of the Netherlands which was created on 4 April 1892 by the Queen regent Emma of the Netherlands, acting on behalf of her under-age daughter Queen Wilhelmina. The Order is a chivalry order open to "everyone who have earned special merits for...
for his work to portray and preserve Java's cultural heritage.
Death and legacy
Cephas retired from photography around the age of 60. Just over a year after the 16 September 1911 death of his wife, he died at the age of 67 due to illness. The family's photography business ended several years later when Sem Cephas died on 20 March 1918 in a horseriding accident. They were all buried in Yogyakarta between the Beringharjo market and the Lodji Ketjil area. Their graves were moved to Sasanalaya Cemetery, east of Brigadier General Katamso Street, in 1964, to make way for new buildings. Although both Cephas and his son were accomplished court photographers, Cephas was the most important of the two and was the first Javanese person (and therefore first indigenous Indonesian) to become a professional photographer.Personal life
Cephas married Dina Rakijah (b. 1846), a Christian Javanese woman and daughter of Soerobangso and Rad Rakemah, at a church in Yogyakarta on 22 January 1866. The couple raised one daughter and three sons: Naomi (b. 28 June 1866), Sem (b. 15 March 1870), Fares (b. 30 January 1872), and Jozef (b. 4 July 1881). They also had a son named Jacob who was born in 1868, but died the same year. Naomi married Dutch engineer Christiaan Beem in 1882, and the couple had thirteen children, eight of whom reached adulthood. Cephas' eldest son Sem became a photographer and painter in his father's studio.See also
- Isidore van KinsbergenIsidore van KinsbergenIsodorus "Isidore" van Kinsbergen was a Dutch-Flemish engraver who took the first archaeological and cultural photographs of Java during the Dutch East Indies period in the nineteenth century...
- History of photographyHistory of photographyThe first permanent photograph was an image produced in 1826 by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.- Etymology :The word photography derives from the Greek words phōs light, and gráphein, to write...