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A Trophy of War

Dmitri Baltermants

Artwork Details

A Trophy of War
circa 1941-1945, printed 2003
Dmitri Baltermants
gelatin silver print on paper
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm)
Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80
2015/2.104

On Display

Not currently on display

Description

Subject Matter:

In this photograph, two young Soviet soldiers pose on the aft of a bomber from the Nazi Luftwaffe. The plane is visibly pocked with bullet holes, which suggests this aircraft’s recent involvement in combat. One of the young men lies across the plane’s horizontal stabilizer and looks off toward the left while his companion leans back against the rudder and looks back directly at the viewer. Prominently displayed between the pair is the Nazi swastika, also punctured by bullet holes. This image forms part of Baltermants’ larger project—as an official photographer to the Kremlin—which, spread across numerous portfolios, aimed to document scenes from the Soviet Union’s fight against Nazi Germany during World War II (1939-1945), known in the USSR as the Great Patriotic War.  

Physical Description:

Two Soviet soldiers pose with a captured and heavily damaged Nazi warplane.

Usage Rights:

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