Standbeeld van graaf Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg in Berlijn 1868 - 1870

Editor: So, this is "Standbeeld van graaf Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg in Berlijn" - quite a mouthful! It’s a photograph, likely taken between 1868 and 1870, capturing a bronze statue. It’s austere, grand… a monument frozen in time. What story do you think this photograph whispers to us? Curator: Whispers indeed! It echoes of Neoclassicism, that yearning for Roman gravitas, but viewed through the romantic lens of landscape photography. Look at how Stiehm positions the statue, almost like a sentinel, overlooking a slightly blurred Berlin. It is as though he captured something of the noble figure and Berlin at the same moment; don't you find it remarkable how photography does that so easily? Do you think the perspective conveys a feeling about the sitter? Editor: Absolutely. The angle gives it such a powerful presence. The slight blur adds a certain softness to an otherwise rigid subject. Curator: Exactly. Now, Yorck himself was a complex character, a military man who famously broke ranks with Napoleon. The statue aims to present him as a noble figure, a pillar of Prussian strength, a concept reinforced by the photographer’s own staging. That slight out-of-focus landscape, contrasting with sharp focus on Yorck is almost symbolic. Do you think the photographic landscape adds anything? Editor: The muted landscape and fence in front creates an imposing aura; they provide some space for reflection and to respect Yorck's persona and contributions to Berlin and the region. I find myself pondering the photographer's decision-making while documenting this bronze figure. Curator: And isn't that the joy of photographs? To evoke and spark more thought, questions, reflections... Editor: It is for me. I definitely view the work in new ways, and I have additional things to consider!