Wehrmacht soldaten gereed voor vertrek Possibly 1941 - 1943

This photograph, whose maker is unknown, shows German soldiers ready to depart. The greyscale creates this sense of a washed-out world, a world drained of life and vibrancy. The image documents a specific moment, but the blurriness lends the image an uncertainty. The texture, or rather lack thereof, is palpable; the smooth gloss of the print stock, almost sterile to the touch, amplifies the image's cold emotional tone. Look closely at the lower corner, the dark expanse bleeds into the soldiers in the middle ground, obscuring details. This mirrors the obscuring of individual identities in the theatre of war. It reminds me of Gerhard Richter’s series of blurry warplanes. Both Richter and this anonymous photographer allow process to speak. It’s a conversation across time, echoing the same anxieties and fears. Ultimately, the power of art lies in its capacity to hold ambiguity.