Ruïnes van gebouwen bij de Kolk te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

This photograph of the ‘Ruïnes van gebouwen bij de Kolk te Rotterdam’ was taken by J. Nolte. It’s a gelatin silver print. I imagine Nolte standing there, in the rubble, focusing the camera, composing the shot to show the skeletal remains of the buildings. What was he thinking, what was he feeling? It looks like the buildings have been flayed, and the photograph feels quite painterly in its composition. The verticals of the buildings contrast with the horizontality of the ground. The monochrome tonality allows for stark contrasts between light and shadow, highlighting textures of broken brick and twisted metal. I imagine Nolte as someone engaged in an exchange with other photographers, each trying to find a way to record and come to terms with destruction. What does it mean to witness such devastation, and how does one even begin to make sense of it? This image, like painting, is a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty.