Inlevering van wapens door Duitse soldaten 1945

Willem van de Poll's "Inlevering van wapens door Duitse soldaten" captures a surrender scene, a monochrome study in light and shadow, probably snapped with a large format camera. There's a stillness here, in the way he frames the pile of discarded weapons. Look at how the light catches the metal, creating a texture that speaks to the weight and history of these objects. The composition, with its ordered chaos, reminds me of a drawing – each rifle carefully placed, each shadow deliberately cast, forming a brutal still life. The gray scale allows the viewer to focus on the scene without distraction. The sharp focus in the foreground contrasts with a slightly blurred background, creating depth and emphasizing the act of surrender. I can't help but think of the work of photojournalists like Robert Capa, who also documented war, but van de Poll brings a different kind of quiet reflection, a mediation on the aftermath. The moment is suspended. Van de Poll asks us to consider the price of peace.