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Dmitri Baltermants — Grief (Ditch of Kerch)
Dmitri Baltermants

Grief (Ditch of Kerch)

A haunting and powerful image by Soviet photojournalist Dmitri Baltermants, this gelatin silver print captures the devastating aftermath of a Nazi massacre at Kerch, Crimea, where Soviet civilians search among the bodies of the fallen for their loved ones. Figures move across a vast, desolate landscape beneath a turbulent sky, their grief rendered monumental through Baltermants' masterful use of dramatic light and sweeping composition. The photograph stands as one of the most iconic documents of World War II, blurring the boundaries between photojournalism and fine art to create an enduring testament to human suffering and loss.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, printed circa 1960.

🔨 Auction Lot

Photographs

May 8, 2014

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About this work

Dmitri Baltermants, Grief (Ditch of Kerch)

A haunting and powerful image by Soviet photojournalist Dmitri Baltermants, this gelatin silver print captures the devastating aftermath of a Nazi massacre at Kerch, Crimea, where Soviet civilians search among the bodies of the fallen for their loved ones. Figures move across a vast, desolate landscape beneath a turbulent sky, their grief rendered monumental through Baltermants' masterful use of dramatic light and sweeping composition. The photograph stands as one of the most iconic documents of World War II, blurring the boundaries between photojournalism and fine art to create an enduring testament to human suffering and loss.

Medium
Gelatin silver print, printed circa 1960.
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Monochrome, Documentary, Photograph, Somber, Tragic, Soviet, Gelatin Silver Print, Post-War, Historical, War

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