Artwork

The Amir Yakub Khan. The First Meeting with Major Cavagnari and Mr. Jenkins, 7 Miles from Safed Sang

The Amir Yakub Khan. The First Meeting with Major Cavagnari and Mr. Jenkins, 7 Miles from Safed Sang 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

Burke lugged heavy glass plates across mountains to document the war, but cameras then were too slow for battle.

You see a group of men on horseback meeting in a rocky valley. British officers in red coats shake hands with an Afghan leader under a bright sky.

This isn’t a painting—it’s one of the first photographs ever taken in Afghanistan. Burke lugged heavy glass plates across mountains to document the war, but cameras then were too slow for battle. So he staged moments like this, blending truth and theater.

To see more of Burke’s war photos, look up John Burke (Irish, 1845–1915).

Overview

This photograph, taken by John Burke, captures a staged meeting between British officers and an Afghan leader during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. It is one of the earliest photographs taken in Afghanistan.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts a group of men on horseback, including British officers in red coats, shaking hands with an Afghan leader in a rocky valley. The scene represents a moment of diplomatic interaction between the warring parties.

Technique & Style

Burke used heavy glass plates to document the conflict, resulting in posed scenes rather than action shots due to the limitations of photography technology at the time.

History & Provenance

The photograph is part of a collection documenting the Second Anglo-Afghan War, fought from 1878 to 1880. John Burke was a key photographer covering the conflict.