Aankomst van een groep militairen Possibly 1935

This undated photograph, "Aankomst van een groep militairen," made by an anonymous artist, shows a procession of uniformed officials. It's small, only 110 by 130mm, but there is so much going on. I’m always fascinated by the hand of the artist, even in photography. What was it like to be there, to frame this shot? Did they feel like an interloper? Did they feel like an ally? I wonder what this artist's wider practice might have looked like; were they a professional photographer, a casual observer, or did they make art in another form? How does an image like this relate to the history of war photography, of photojournalism? Even if it's hard to read, this photograph can still communicate feeling, intention, or meaning. After all, artists are in conversation across time, inspiring one another's creativity and helping us to see the world anew. And photographs, like paintings, offer ambiguous and uncertain meaning.