Portrait analysis of Alfred Krupp

Arnold Newman, Portrait of Alfred Krupp, 1963

Alfred Krupp was an armanents manufacturer who used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis. When finding out that Newman was a jew, Krupp refused to let him take the photograph. Newman insisted to have Krupp look at his portfolio before making a final decision and after seeing Newman’s portfolio he accepted. On July 6th, 1963 they both went into a delict factory in Essen which belonged to Krupp, where Newman decided to make Krupp look as evil as he can under the eerie, demonic lighting of the factory. When Krupp initially saw his portrait he was furious. Newman said “as a jew, it’s my own little moment of revenge”. Krupp in this image is in an elevated position which is important because it shows his declaration that he is the highest authority within these premises, he is the man responsible for all that happens. Krupp is situated in the centre of the image and the lens mostly focuses on his face rather than the background;This emphasises his facial features and gesture. Krupp is slightly leaning forward and clasping his fingers together under his chin. He is staring directly at the camera in an eerie, sinister way with a sort of grin on his face. He’s also wearing a suit and appears to be in a formal position. In the background you can see his factory which gives the impression that Krupp is in charge. The fact that the background is lighter than the foreground makes Krupp appear evil since he seems to be surrounded by darkness. This image makes me feel on edge since he looks like he’s done something  evil. It seems like he’s staring right into the depth of your eyes which makes the viewer feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The whole image seems wicked which is mostly created through the eerie lighting and his facial features.

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