Portret van twee militairen in uniform 1941 - 1945

This photograph of two uniformed military men was made by an anonymous artist. You know, the lack of detail really throws you. It's just a small black and white picture, nothing fancy, but the contrast is so strong. The light and dark areas create these sharp, defined shapes, which lends an air of authority to the figures. Their uniforms are crisp, almost severe. The way the light catches on the buttons and buckles makes them stand out. It’s like the photographer wanted to capture not just the men, but the idea of military order itself. The edges of the photo are a bit soft and torn, which sort of softens the effect of all that severity. It gives the image a sense of history, of being a thing that has survived through time. It’s a bit like some of Gerhard Richter's grayscale paintings, they evoke the weight of history and memory. But here, it's simpler, more direct. We’re left to fill in the gaps, to wonder about the story behind the image, and to imagine how the image might make us feel.