Vermoedelijk Italiaanse militair poserend voor een tent van de hulpdienst, verborgen in een dennenbos in de Dolomieten 1916

Henri de Rothschild's photograph captures a scene in the Dolomites, a probable Italian soldier standing by a tent, maybe sometime around the turn of the century, or during the First World War. What strikes me is the texture. The image is sepia, rich with gradients of dark and light. The tent, rendered in soft focus, contrasts with the sharpness of the surrounding pines. There is a flattening of space, a folding together of the foreground and background, almost like a stage set. Look closely at the bark of the trees. The tangled branches seem to echo the uncertainly of war, or, a feeling of finding shelter or safety in a time of crisis. The figure in the tent seems awkwardly placed, a ghost in this constructed landscape, their gaze averted. This image reminds me a little of the work of Eugène Atget, who also documented scenes of Parisian life. It’s a good reminder that art is not just about what we see, but how we see, and the stories we tell ourselves along the way.