Kanongieterij met skeletten en een duivel 1868 - 1873

This small, anonymous photograph depicts a devil overseeing a cannon foundry staffed by skeletons. These kinds of images were popular in the late 19th century, a period marked by rapid industrialization and anxieties about mortality. Consider the historical context: photography itself was a relatively new technology, often used to capture images of the dead as a way of preserving their memory. The image presents a macabre critique of the arms industry. The skeletons, stripped of their earthly identities, stand as a chilling reminder of the human cost of war. The devil's presence suggests a condemnation of those who profit from such violence. Is the artist commenting on class? Are they showing the price of power? The photograph asks us to confront the uncomfortable truth that death is the ultimate consequence of human conflict, a theme that resonates across centuries.