Militairen bij appel 1941 - 1945

Editor: This photograph, titled "Militairen bij appel", meaning something like "Soldiers on parade", was taken sometime between 1941 and 1945. It's a gelatin silver print held here at the Rijksmuseum. The stark black and white tones and the rows of uniformed figures create quite a rigid, almost oppressive atmosphere for me. How do you see this work functioning visually? Curator: Indeed. Let us first consider the formal elements. Note the photographer's calculated use of perspective. The converging lines draw the eye towards a vanishing point, amplifying the sense of depth and the endlessness of the ranks. Do you observe the textures and tonal gradients at play? Editor: I see what you mean. There's a subtle gradation from the darker foreground to the lighter background that emphasizes the regimented formation, doesn't it? It's almost like a visual metaphor for a kind of dehumanization. Curator: Precisely. Now, consider the play of light and shadow. How does it contribute to the overall composition? Editor: The lighting is fairly even, but there's a contrast between the uniformed figures and the landscape behind, and how it almost fades away. What impact would you say that has on its visual balance? Curator: Note the structural relationships between the forms and the overall spatial dynamics of the image. It suggests order but the background threatens to fall apart behind them. Ultimately, what matters are the purely formal relations in play here, and the tensions produced as they resonate and fail to gel. Editor: I understand. By focusing on composition, we are examining how such formal choices and spatial arrangements create the artwork's primary qualities. Thank you for making me see beyond my immediate reactions to the image and to consider formal analysis. Curator: A crucial exercise. Close looking allows one to grasp an entirely new aesthetic vocabulary and access hidden meanings within works such as this photograph.