Skiers looking at distant mountains--Sports 1941 - 1945

This is a photograph by Robert Frank, showing a group of skiers gazing at distant mountains. Frank was a Swiss photographer, but he's best known for his work in the United States. Here we see him in his native landscape, perhaps earlier in his career. What’s striking is the mix of social classes; some are wearing posh ski gear, but one figure stands out in an apron. This tells us something about Swiss social structure, where even in leisure, class distinctions are visible. It reminds us that even the experience of nature is socially mediated. To understand Frank's work fully, it would be interesting to know when this photograph was taken, and more about its original context. Was it a personal snapshot, or was it made for a magazine or other publication? The history of photography is full of such questions, and their answers are usually found in archives. Art is never created in a vacuum.