Wehrmacht soldaten bij een bus Possibly 1940 - 1947

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, "Wehrmacht soldaten bij een bus," comes to us from the Rijksmuseum and was likely taken between 1940 and 1947 by an anonymous artist. The grayscale seems to drain all the dynamism out of what was probably a very tense historical moment. What do you read into this photograph? Curator: The light certainly softens it, doesn’t it? Funny, how time and tone can conspire. I see… well, a question of perspective, actually. Is it a landscape? A historical record? Or something more probing? This quiet moment of soldiers gathered around a bus could be read in so many ways, couldn’t it? Each face a story, each vehicle a journey. Do you feel it lacks judgement, perhaps? That might be its strength. Editor: I hadn't thought about it lacking judgement, but I think that makes sense. By being observational rather than moralizing, it kind of throws the responsibility of interpretation onto the viewer. Curator: Exactly! And isn't that what the best art does? This photo reminds me of looking at clouds - a shifting story unfolds based on what we ourselves bring to the experience. It really lets you meditate on your place in things, if you let it. And even chuckle darkly. There’s always room for that, isn’t there? Editor: It does leave a lot of room for reflection. I came in thinking the greyscale was simply an artifact, but now I see that it actively contributes to the feeling of distanced contemplation. Curator: Beautifully said. It makes me wonder, what stories would *we* be telling if we were in the picture? Editor: Right? It suddenly feels much more personal, actually.