Angler auf der Brücke (Anglers on the Bridge) c. 1930

Else Thalemann made this photograph, Anglers on the Bridge, using black and white film; it’s a study in tone and texture. It makes me think about how something like photography can be a way to capture a moment, but also how the photographer’s choices shape what we see. I’m struck by the almost brutal quality of the concrete wall that looms large in the frame. The texture of the wall feels gritty, almost palpable. The contrast between the hard, unyielding surface and the soft, rounded forms of the figures creates a really compelling tension. Look at the way the light catches the numbers painted on the wall, 217, 216, 214 – each one a small, imperfect gesture, a reminder of human presence in this stark environment. This feels like it is in conversation with the work of August Sander, particularly in its unsentimental portrayal of everyday life and its interest in documenting the human condition with such clarity and directness. I like the ambiguity. The image invites us to look closely and consider how we relate to the world around us, and what we seek from it.