Ob. Wm. Meyer op straat 1941 - 1945

This small, black and white photograph, made by an anonymous artist, captures a moment frozen in time. I imagine the artist carefully framing the shot, deciding what to include and exclude, how much light to let in, and which details to emphasize. The subject, a man in uniform, strides confidently, yet something in his eyes betrays a hint of vulnerability. What was going through the photographer’s mind? Were they aiming to create a portrait of power, or perhaps a more nuanced study of a person caught in a moment of transition? Photography reminds me of painting. The artist makes countless small decisions, each contributing to the overall impact of the image. It's like the single stroke of a brush, building up layer upon layer to create a unified whole. We can sense the presence of the artist in the image, their hand guiding our eye, shaping our experience. And so the dialogue continues, artists responding to artists across time and space.