Image Analysis

Taken by German-Jewish photographer, Arnold Newman, this environmental portrait projects multiple emotions towards viewers. Such as, apprehension, confusion and worry.

The main focus of the image – the subject (Alfried Krupp) appearing to be ‘normal’, actually supplied the Nazi’s with weaponry and utilized slave labor, even shipping some innocent people to Auschwitz. The context behind the image definitely increases the negative emotions already conveyed, as the viewer is now reminded of the inhuman things he did which contradicts how calm he is appearing which could also spark anger in some viewers where WW2 personally affected them.

One aspect of the image which completely adjusts it’s overall message and intensity would be the lighting. By using symmetrical lighting, the photographer is able to highlight the sides of Alfried Krupp’s face, causing the center to contrast the light. In addition, by centralizing the subject and making the background significantly more illuminated, the subject is darkened even more. By darkening the area of the subject and increasing the brightness of the background, a metaphor is created; the dark representing evil/ the evil the subject has done, and the light representing innocence/ the innocent lives of which he controlled and tortured.

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