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Image Analysis- Alfred Krupp Portrait

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Arnold Newman | Portrait of Alfred Krupp | 1963

In this image, American photographer Arnold Newman has taken a portrait of German industrialist Alfred Krupp. Krupp’s family ran factories during World War 2 making ammunition and weapons for Nazi’s- he insisted on using Jewish prisoners from concentration camps to work at the factories.

In the foreground, Krupp is positioned in the centre of the image between two symmetrical pillars that stand behind him, Newman has deliberately made him the main focus. The camera is angled slightly above Krupp’s eye level and he is looking directly at the camera lens with a sinister expression, giving the impression Krupp is confident. The dark shadows around the perimeter of the image contrast with the natural daylight coming from above through skylights. This casts shadows on his face, particularly around his eyes which makes Krupp look more menacing and mysterious. I believe Newman did this purposefully to paint Krupp as a villain and to give the image negative connotations.

In the background, we can see lots of lineal patterns with repeated shapes along with industrial equipment and what seems to be trains, it is possible the photo was taken in one of Krupp’s factories. It is clear Newman has used a high aperture as the whole image is in focus, allowing us to clearly see the factory’s assets, alluding to the idea that Newman knew the truth about what Krupp and his family had done during the war and that he wasn’t going to hide it from the camera or the world. Furthermore, the repetition of lights above Krupp’s head could symbolize the many lives he ended by being a Nazi sympathizer and providing weapons/ammunition to them.

The image looks a little under exposed with a high contrast and dark tones throughout. There is also a subtle green hue surrounding the image which links to the idea that Krupp is malicious since green is often associated with evil and wickedness. The colours of the image have low saturation and are not the best quality, this suggests the photo was taken with an older camera. The lack of vibrancy creates a dull, lifeless atmosphere, again symbolizing the lives lost by the hands of Nazi soldiers/supporters. I believe Newman portrayed Krupp in this vicious way to expose him for his crimes and to get justice for Jewish people, after all Arnold Newman was Jewish himself so taking this shot let him finally have his revenge and find peace.

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Image Analysis – Alfred Krupp

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The man in this photograph is Alfred Krupp. Alfred was as an ammunition and steel manufacturer who supplied products to the German Nazis during the war and was later sentenced to prison for war crimes. The Photographer, Arnold Newman, was a Jewish American who traveled to Germany as he felt he needed to know more about the horrific oppression of Jewish people. The dramatic irony behind this photo is that a Jewish Photographer got a Nazi sympathizer to pose for this iconic image.

In this Image, slightly below the centre of the shot, is a medium shot of a Caucasian man who looks to be in his late sixties. He has a balding head with slight tufts of grey hair sprouting near the back of his scalp. He has fairly dark coloured skin littered with wrinkles. He has bushy brown eyebrows, a long pointed nose and large, deep, brown eyes. He is gazing straight at the lens and has a serious and sinister expression on his face. He is dressed in a dark grey blazer with a white shirt bearing silver cuff links underneath. He is aslo wearing an expensive looking metal watch tucked underneath his blazer. In the background there is two large concrete pillars eaither side of the man. There is a blue train to the left of the man and a rust coloured one to the right. There are two rows of metal beams above the trains running paralell to eachother leading to a set of windows positioned directly above the mans head. There are also multiple columns of ceiling windows running along the roof of the builing. Also in this buidling are a series of moving metal machines/parts.

The lighting in this image is a combination of natural and fabricated light, the natural light is coming from above and behind the subject. The natural light coming from the windows give the subject a glow above his head almost like a halo. The fluorescent light is coming from behind the camera. This light brightens the outside of the subject but creates deep shadows in the centre of the subjects face and body which make him look mischievous. The image has quite a narrow portrait crop on it. Arnold used quite a high aperture as both the foreground and background are very clear. The image is slightly underexposed and has been given a vignette around the edges to create a mysterious feel. The image has a warm tone and a dark tone. the texture of the image is quite rough which is not created by grain but is rather associated with the old mysterious man and his surroundings. There a large depth of field aided by the metal beams running longitudinally down the factory roof in this image. The photographer has also framed the subject between the two pillars.

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Alfred Krupp Analysis

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Arnold Newman | Portrait of Alfred Krupp | 1963

Alfred Krupp is positioned in the center of the frame in the foreground, looking directly into the lens of the camera, with his hands clasped under his chin. This is to make him seem intimidating to the viewer. He has been lit from above and from both sides, this creates dark shadows by his eyes, making him seem evil and provoke a negative feeling for the viewer.

Behind him is the entrance to a train factory which he owns. He is positioned in front of the entrance, as if he is blocking people from entering it. The walls and ceiling of the entrance is dark and draws the attention of the viewer to the center of the image, towards Alfred Krupp, making him seem like a powerful figure. In factory in the background is naturally sky lit through big windows in the ceiling, similar to those in a church or a cathedral.

The overall feel of the picture is negative with dark tones and mostly earthy colours. The lines of the roof in the background give the factory depth and size.

He is wearing a formal suit which contrasts from the hectic nature of the factory in the background. His hands are positioned in a triangular fashion which also shows power as a triangle is a strong shape.

Alfred Krupp has been portrayed in this negative yet powerful way because the trains his factory was making were used to transport Jewish people to concentration camps during the war.