Arthur Moos met sabel in het uniform van het Duitse leger, met het IJzeren Kruis op de borst, gezeten op een stoel, december 1914 1914

Curator: This photograph, taken in December 1914, depicts Arthur Moos in his German army uniform. We can see he's wearing the Iron Cross. Editor: There's something unsettling about his posture. Relaxed, almost, yet the setting is a stark contrast – war, uniform, Iron Cross... It's quite unsettling. Curator: Indeed. The portrait serves as a formal representation, an attempt, perhaps, to solidify his place within a military structure during a period of intense upheaval. Think about the context: German Expressionism was exploring similar themes. Editor: The portrait’s attempt at capturing power is visible, yet what strikes me is a fragility underneath. He appears like a child playing soldier, with his father's too-large accessories. This, for me, raises crucial questions about the expectations and social pressures exerted on young men during times of conflict, and particularly how antisemitism functioned in German society. Curator: The photograph invites consideration of German identity during the first world war. A Jewish soldier during this conflict, displayed proudly with such high honors, presents a powerful commentary when considered through the context of increasing German nationalism. Editor: Exactly! These photographs served purposes – reinforcing national narratives and often creating sanitized, heroic versions of individuals amidst complex political realities. We must critically analyze how these types of imagery can work as cultural constructions to mobilize particular communities, or at times, omit others. The power is in the editing. Curator: Photography as a means of propaganda during wartime—it becomes more crucial when viewed in conjunction with subsequent historical events like the Holocaust. Editor: This image is loaded with contradictions. A Jewish soldier who at one point in his life took pride in being German… This invites an investigation into his individual experiences alongside larger conversations concerning propaganda, militarism and constructions of identity. Curator: Yes, and it’s that intersection, that precise collision of forces, which reveals so much. The banality of portraiture concealing far deeper, turbulent social currents. Editor: It is a small crack that allows light in, and illuminates a need for continuous unpacking and resistance to oversimplified stories of identity and conflict.