Walstransport 1931 - 1937

This monochrome photograph called Walstransport is housed at the Rijksmuseum and was created by an anonymous artist. I can imagine them carefully lining everyone up for the photo, maybe after a long day’s work or before they get started. Look at the way the figures stand stiffly in front of the road roller. The texture and tonal range are quite interesting. The surface of the road roller and the building behind is almost palpable. I can almost feel the smoothness of the road roller’s surface and the rough concrete surface of the building. I love the way the image conveys the atmosphere of the place, the heat, the light, the dust. You can imagine all those figures milling around, talking and gesturing. I wonder if the artist felt a connection with the people they portrayed. Do you think this is the first in a series or a stand-alone image? How does the place shape the lives of the people portrayed? It is a kind of document, a social record. Anonymous's photo shares an intimate and evocative moment, revealing a collective experience. And, like all good photos, it speaks to something timeless and universal about us all.