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Four Cavalrymen, World War II

Dmitri Baltermants

Artwork Details

Four Cavalrymen, World War II
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
2016/2.424

Description

Subject Matter:

This photograph provides a close-up view of four cavalrymen in the Soviet army. The viewer seems to stand just beyond the noses of the four horses. The chiseled faces of these soldiers all look sternly back at the viewer with fairly blank expressions—though one man appears to look up toward the right. The picture has the sense of a chance, if somewhat threatening encounter, as it takes place in an ambiguous country setting. 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:

Four men in military uniforms on horseback look out directly at the viewer.

Usage Rights:

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