Gewondentransport per brancard over een weg in de Dolomieten, vermoedelijk Italianen 1916

This gelatin silver print was made by Henri de Rothschild sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The monochrome tones convey a solemn yet stark reality. Imagine Rothschild on the frontline. What was it like for him, pointing the camera, framing this shot, deciding what to show us? He crops the top of the mountain. Instead, our eye lingers on the surface of the snow, feeling the cold, and we meet the eyes of the men. The composition seems to suggest a sense of unease and urgency, doesn't it? The burden of war etched in the faces of these weary soldiers. I am reminded of Paula Modersohn-Becker, another artist documenting life as it is. Like the best paintings, this photograph captures a moment, preserving it in time, and prompts reflection on the human experience of war. Artists engage in a visual conversation with the past, present, and future, exploring ideas, sparking creativity, and inspiring new ways of seeing.