Nederland bezet Soerakarta Possibly 1948 - 1949

This photograph, *Nederland bezet Soerakarta*, was taken by the Associated Press. A candid black and white shot, it shows us a moment frozen in time. The approach feels very immediate, like we are there on the ground. In the image, buildings fade into the background, while a group of people stand on the roadside. What I find so striking is the contrast of this group against the armed soldiers and military vehicles in the foreground. It’s not a posed picture; instead, it captures something about the atmosphere and feeling of a place under occupation. If you look closely at the faces of the people, you can see a mix of expressions, some guarded, some curious, some resigned. This reminds me of Goya’s *Disasters of War* etchings, where the artist used stark images to depict the reality of conflict. Both artists encourage us to think about how we record and remember difficult historical events. What stories do these kinds of images tell us, and whose perspectives are included or left out?