Dek van de Sei-Kyo Maru na de Slag bij de Yalu-rivier Possibly 1894 - 1899

This image, "Dek van de Sei-Kyo Maru na de Slag bij de Yalu-rivier," captures a scene from the Yalu River naval battle. The image is characterized by its monochromatic palette and stark contrast. The composition is divided into two distinct panels, each offering a fragmented perspective of the aftermath. Formally, the photographs utilize a play of light and shadow to accentuate the devastation. The wreckage is presented through disorienting angles and close-ups. The photograph's engagement with semiotics is complex. The objects, such as the ship’s deck, and the personal objects scattered around intimate the cost of war. The composition destabilizes any traditional heroic narrative. Ultimately, the photographic image acts as a signifier of the disruption and violence inherent in war. Its structural fragmentation mirrors the fractured state of the scenes it depicts, prompting us to reconsider the relationship between representation, reality, and the semiotic codes through which we interpret conflict.