Graf van Heinrich III Groß von Trockau in de dom van Bamberg c. 1900 - 1920

Curator: Here we have a photograph entitled "Graf van Heinrich III Gross von Trockau in de dom van Bamberg," which translates to "Tomb of Heinrich III Gro\u00df von Trockau in the Bamberg Cathedral." It's a gelatin silver print, placing its creation roughly between 1900 and 1920. Editor: Wow, it has such a stern and devotional feel. I get a sense of formality but also, a hint of sadness— like a heavy cloak of mourning settled over the scene. Curator: Yes, precisely. It depicts a relief sculpture, a tomb effigy, of Heinrich III, a significant historical figure. This photograph is, therefore, not just an image but a document. We are dealing with layers of representation and meaning here. How the power structures inherent in religious institutions are physically represented. Editor: Absolutely. And he’s stepping on a lion… talk about power dynamics! It really cements that feeling of somber authority, that someone has been vanquished! Curator: The lion, of course, traditionally symbolizes courage and royalty, perhaps indicating his triumph over earthly concerns through faith, the Bishop has fully vanquished that lion. Note his vestments, and symbols, the crosier, and mitre speak to the hierarchical and religious structures that dictated life at the time. Editor: And to have it captured like this, in monochrome…it makes it timeless. Almost spectral. It is not life as we live, but a historical projection onto the present. The grain of the print enhances the sculptural textures too! As if time is slowly dissolving the subject again. Curator: Exactly! This image asks us to consider representation, historical memory, and power. Also consider how faith and its symbology played into medieval life for powerful aristocratic figures like Heinrich. Editor: Looking at it again, I feel a connection. The Bishop stands silent now and we, viewing across time, find an opportunity to speak to the past, and to reshape that perspective in a more understanding way. Curator: Indeed, a photograph of a relief…layered with so many ways we might re-imagine its relevance today.