The Mamelon and Malakoff from front of Mortar Battery 1855

Here we see Roger Fenton's photographic rendering of the Mamelon and Malakoff, images captured with the mechanical eye of a camera. The barren landscape dominates the scene; the earth, churned and scarred, extends to the horizon where the contested hills loom faintly. The symbolism of this ravaged earth is powerful. Think back to ancient battlefields – the fields of Troy, or the plains of Marathon. These landscapes become palimpsests, inscribed with layers of conflict and loss, resonating with the collective memory of human suffering. The desolate terrain speaks to the futility and waste inherent in war. This resonates with the Romantic painters’ fascination with ruins, which also serve as memento mori. However, here, we are confronted not with the decay of time but with the immediate aftermath of destruction, a stark reminder of humanity's capacity for self-inflicted wounds. The psychological impact is immediate, invoking primal feelings of fear, loss, and perhaps a somber contemplation on the cyclical nature of violence.