Paard bepakt met munitie, en profil gezien

This photograph, “Paard bepakt met munitie, en profil gezien”, which translates to “Horse packed with ammunition, seen in profile” was made by an anonymous photographer with rudimentary technology. The print has a slightly mottled texture, as if the artist was experimenting with the materiality of the photographic print. The monochromatic tones emphasize the weight and texture of the horse’s coat, the roughspun uniform of the man beside it, and the solid wood of the ammunition boxes strapped to the horse’s back. There is a striking contrast between the living creature, and the inanimate materials loaded upon it for military purposes. The photograph’s composition, printing, and development required multiple steps and great skill, representing a particular moment in the history of photography’s development. By considering this anonymous photograph from the perspective of materials and making, we gain insight into the relationship between labor, war, and technology. It prompts questions about the social and political context in which the photograph was created.