Skelet, gevonden bij archeologische opgravingen te Hongarije 1928

This photograph, taken by Jan Lanting, shows a skeleton discovered during archeological excavations in Hungary. It's a black and white photograph, of course, so the palette is limited, stark, and yet there are so many textures and shades within it. What interests me most is the way Lanting uses light and shadow to emphasize the stillness of the skeleton against the surrounding landscape. Look at the upper right part of the image, at the horizon line of trees, and how that is tonally echoed by the small ribcage of the skeleton in the foreground. This almost uncanny connection between the micro and macro is what gives the picture its power. Lanting's work reminds me of Eugène Atget, capturing a kind of in-between state, a moment of transition and uncertainty, rather than aiming for a neat, conclusive story. Art, after all, isn't about answers, but about the questions we ask along the way.