Accession Number
2016/2.424

Title
Four Cavalrymen, World War II

Artist(s)
Dmitri Baltermants

Artist Nationality
Russian (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1941-1945, printed 2003

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
16 in x 20 in (40.64 cm x 50.8 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Thomas Wilson '79 and Jill Garling '80

Subject matter
This photograph provides a close-up view of four cavalrymen in the Soviet army. The viewer seems to stand just beyond the noses of the four horses. The chiseled faces of these soldiers all look sternly back at the viewer with fairly blank expressions—though one man appears to look up toward the right. The picture has the sense of a chance, if somewhat threatening encounter, as it takes place in an ambiguous country setting. This image forms part of Baltermants’ larger project—as an official photographer to the Kremlin—which, spread across numerous portfolios, aimed to document scenes from the Soviet Union’s fight against Nazi Germany during World War II (1939-1945), known in the USSR as the Great Patriotic War.  

Physical Description
Four men in military uniforms on horseback look out directly at the viewer.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Primary Object Type
black and white print

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
cavalries
journalistic photography
soldiers
war horses
war photography