Groep militairen in uniform 1941 - 1945

This photograph of soldiers in uniform, held at the Rijksmuseum, captures a quiet moment. The greyscale image gives the impression of a cold wintery day. You can imagine the photographer setting up their camera on the cobbled street. Look at how the lines of the soldiers recede into the distance, a seemingly endless repetition of form and color. Did the photographer want to convey uniformity or individuality? Maybe they were thinking about the power of the collective versus the individual. It’s like a painting where the artist layers and repeats shapes, each one slightly different, creating a rhythm that is both comforting and unsettling. I wonder what it was like to be one of these people. Were they happy, sad, scared? Maybe they were bored. This photo is a reminder that even in the most regimented situations, there is always room for individual expression and emotion.