Making Soldiers: Bringing In Prisoners c. 1917

Editor: This is Eric Kennington's "Making Soldiers: Bringing In Prisoners," held at the Tate. I'm struck by how stark the imagery is, and also how immediate the scene feels. What symbols do you see at play here? Curator: The sign "Field Dressing Station" juxtaposed with the prisoners and discarded equipment becomes a potent symbol of mechanized war. Kennington seems to be asking: what is discarded, and what is salvaged, in the machinery of war? The cultural memory around sacrifice comes to mind. Editor: So, are the prisoners themselves meant to be seen as another kind of discard? Curator: Perhaps. Note how they are rendered almost identically. Kennington uses that anonymity as a potent psychological element. What do you make of the soldier, then, our singular figure? Editor: He seems burdened, a conduit through which these men are processed. It’s a sobering thought. Curator: Yes, a stark reminder that images carry emotional and cultural weight, shaping our understanding of history.