Road Construction Workers, Westerwald 1917

August Sander made this photograph, *Road Construction Workers, Westerwald*, using silver gelatin print. Look at the composition, the way Sander has arranged the subjects to lead our eyes across the scene. The road workers and their equipment form a striking horizontal band across the center of the frame, effectively dividing the composition into distinct foreground and background planes. This division creates a sense of depth, drawing the viewer into the scene. The textured surfaces and sharp lines of the road machinery and hand tools contrast with the organic forms of the surrounding landscape. This contrast underscores the impact of industrialization on the natural world, a recurring theme in Sander's work. Sander's approach challenges traditional notions of portraiture by documenting individuals within their specific social and economic roles. Through a careful arrangement of form and texture, the photograph explores themes of labor, class, and the changing landscape of early 20th-century Germany.