Slachtoffers van de slag bij Tianjin tijdens de Bokseropstand Possibly 1900 - 1914

This stereoscopic image shows the aftermath of the battle of Tientsin during the Boxer Rebellion. Look closely at the gray tones, punctuated by the stark shadows of the dead and dying on the ground, and the busy soldiers in the background. I imagine the photographer, setting up his camera, feeling the weight of history and the immediacy of suffering. What thoughts raced through his mind as he chose his composition, capturing both the grim reality and the sweeping scale of conflict? I wonder if they were thinking about Goya, or maybe they were just trying to get the shot? The scene is framed by the solid wall, and the ruined tower looming over the site. Look at the broken stones, the remnants of war, now serving as a stage for this stark tableau of human cost. Perhaps, like all image makers, he hoped this picture might speak across time.