Vermoedelijk Italiaanse Alpenjagers begeleiden muilezels bij het transport van militaire staf 1916

Henri de Rothschild captured this scene of Italian Alpine hunters and mules transporting military staff, probably with a camera, though you could almost believe it was made with charcoal. There’s something about old photos – the way they flatten space and render everything in shades of gray – that makes you feel like you’re looking into a half-forgotten dream. I wonder what it was like for Henri to take this photo? What was he thinking, feeling, as he framed that shot? Did he feel a sense of responsibility to record what he saw? Did he take many photos? The composition is just wonderful. A convergence of lines, all directing your eye to the distance, where the mountains meet the sky. It reminds me of Agnes Martin's serene and subtle compositions. Artists like Henri and Agnes, they’re all in conversation with each other. They each try to capture something essential, something true about being human. It's an ongoing exchange of ideas, inspiring creativity.