Wehrmacht soldaat met Nederlandse man 1941 - 1942

This small, anonymous photograph captures a Wehrmacht soldier with a Dutch man. The lack of information makes it feel like a fragment of a much larger story, maybe one we don’t fully know or understand. The greyscale gives it a direct, documentary feel. It is a photograph, pure and simple; a way of recording a moment in time. The image’s surface is flat, but there's a depth created by the contrast between the light clothing of the Dutch man and the dark uniform of the soldier, and the backdrop of the building. It all creates a sense of unease. Look at the way they're posed, arms linked, but there's a distance in their eyes. It feels staged, the background blurring just enough to make it feel like a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. The photograph reminds me of the work of Gerhard Richter, particularly his blurred photographs that seem to hint at a hidden trauma. Like Richter, this photograph uses ambiguity to explore the complexities of history and memory. Art doesn’t have to provide answers; sometimes, it's enough to ask the questions.