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Carting the Dead, Kerch, Crimea

Dmitri Baltermants

Artwork Details

Carting the Dead, Kerch, Crimea
1942; printed 2003
Dmitri Baltermants
gelatin silver print on paper
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Agah, Class of 1989 (BBA)
2014/2.265

Description

Subject Matter:

This photograph depicts three women pushing a wagon full of dead bodies through a barren, muddy landscape. The photograph stages a series of oppositions, formally and conceptually: on the right-hand side are dead, male soldiers, while on the left are living, female civilians. The image presents a rather ambivalent view both of warfare and patriotism. Here, the women’s patriotic duty entails dealing with, psychologically and physically, the tragic consequences of battle.

Physical Description:

Three women push a wagon carrying dead bodies through muddy and barren terrain.

Usage Rights:

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