Groep matrozen op hun schip 1940 - 1943

Curator: This is an intriguing photograph entitled "Groep matrozen op hun schip," placing a group of sailors on their ship during the years 1940 to 1943. It’s a gelatin-silver print, part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: My first impression is a sense of staged intimacy, like a snapshot trying to capture camaraderie amid what must have been extraordinarily tense times. There’s a candidness betrayed by the formal composition. Curator: Exactly, and that tension speaks volumes. We see a state-sponsored image production. The work documents the men, while serving the larger goal of projecting a strong military presence, attempting to unify the public. It highlights their place within this big piece of military machinery. Editor: I see a really stark contrast. We have a sense of that huge piece of material and engineering right behind them, but most are looking casual and are even bare-chested. The materiality of the photograph itself also adds a layer; the texture and tonality speak of process, control, the way images were mobilized as both propaganda and documentary. The contrast, however, renders the staged photograph with an accidental vulnerable, somewhat human element. Curator: That contrast gets to the core of propaganda imagery during wartime: it’s all about crafting that connection between the individual and the national cause. To give each face meaning beyond the surface. There’s a certain romanticizing. Editor: I agree, even down to the wavy edges that suggest an accessible, domestic-scaled print. They seem meant for portability, personal archiving, maybe to be carried around, tucked away... Curator: These kinds of images allowed the State to shape the narrative, normalizing this vision and broadcasting patriotic virtues. Group cohesion presented, ready to mobilize. Editor: Seeing that image as more than that propaganda helps appreciate the labor of these sailors. A lot of emotion is being held under tight control to give an appearance of a tight seal over vulnerability and uncertainty. Curator: That careful crafting, combined with a casual impression of everyday life, reveals the politics behind this kind of wartime imagery, revealing to its audiences the values and order of this world. Editor: To me, it serves as a reminder to always look closer at any representation of such subjects. A glimpse behind the narrative opens questions of value beyond simply what the image suggests at first glance.