Artwork
Landi Kotal Pass, Looking Towards Dakka
Landi Kotal Pass, Looking Towards Dakka is a photography by the Impressionist artist John Burke. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
You see a steep mountain pass with jagged rocks, a winding dirt road, and a few soldiers on horseback in the distance.
You see a steep mountain pass with jagged rocks, a winding dirt road, and a few soldiers on horseback in the distance.
This isn’t a painting—it’s an early war photograph. Burke lugged heavy glass plates and a portable darkroom into Afghanistan during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. He couldn’t snap fast-moving battles, so he framed quiet moments like this: the land itself, waiting.
For more of these rare 1870s war photos, look up John Burke (Irish, 1845–1915).
Overview
Landi Kotal Pass, Looking Towards Dakka is a photograph by John Burke, documenting the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The image captures a mountain pass with a winding road and soldiers on horseback.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph depicts a landscape associated with the conflict, rather than an action scene, due to the technological limitations of the time. It shows the terrain and setting where significant events took place.
Technique & Style
Burke used heavy glass plates and a portable darkroom to produce the image, a common method for early photography. The resulting photograph is a static representation of the landscape.
History & Provenance
John Burke was a pioneering photographer who extensively documented the Second Anglo-Afghan War, making him the primary photographer for the conflict. His work provides a visual record of the war's setting and participants.
Artist & collection
