This print was made in 2003. The image was taken in Berlin.

Taken in Berlin, Agfa displays a soldier posing with broken remains of female mannequins. The tragedy of war is apparent in the extensive destruction, and the empty, shattered window exudes a sense of abandonment. The soldier’s possessive stance over the mannequins’ shattered bodies echoes the violence many women endured during war. The wartime was destructive for artists like Baltermants as well: the tattered poster, and the name of the image, is that of a photography company which produced cameras and high-quality film. The damage suffered by the poster represents the very real threat of destruction to the art of photography, not only through outright physical violence, but also by the strict censoring of the Soviet government.
Allegra Cox, SCR 2018

stamped on verso, lower right hand corner:

Dmitri Baltermants [his signature stamped on the work]
© Dmitri Baltermants Collection
authorized Estate print 2003
Print No. 20/28

gelatin silver print

This object has the following keywords:

• Battle
• Soldiers and Warriors
• War and Conflict

This object is a member of the following portfolios: