Twee Wehrmacht militairen Possibly 1940 - 1945

This small, anonymous photograph captures two Wehrmacht soldiers, standing side by side, maybe taken during the Second World War. I’m immediately drawn to the contrast of light and shadow, the way the light catches the planes of their faces, the details in their uniforms, the dark emptiness of the space around them. I’m imagining the photographer, whoever they were, choosing their angle, framing the composition. The photograph suggests an eerie sense of calm, an unsettling quietude. Maybe the photographer was thinking about how to immortalize these two figures, and trying to express what they felt at the time. I try to think about what those boots must have felt like! This image resonates with a broader history of portraiture, and reminds me of the work of photographers like August Sander. Artists across time are in conversation, grappling with similar issues of representation, identity, and the human condition. Photography, like painting, allows for multiple interpretations, opening a space of imagination and reflection.