Groepsfoto Duitse militairen 1942 - 1948

This group photograph of German soldiers was made by an anonymous photographer. I love the way that group photos like this capture a particular moment, but also feel like they are about something much bigger. The tones in this image feel quite muted, almost bleached out, as if the sun was burning away the colour. Look at the way that light almost flattens the image, reducing the soldiers to shapes. The different bodies arranged together, some standing, others kneeling, make the picture plane feel like a shallow stage. Each man’s face is a study in concentration, staring into the camera’s eye. There’s an interesting parallel to be drawn here with the work of August Sander, another German photographer who created typologies of different social groups. Both artists invite us to consider the individual within the collective, and question the nature of identity and representation. What does it mean to be seen? What does it mean to belong? And how do images shape our understanding of ourselves and others?