Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a photographic photography by Benno Elkan. It is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This black-and-white photograph features a statue of a woman in the center, with her right arm raised above her head and her left arm resting on her hip.
This black-and-white photograph features a statue of a woman in the center, with her right arm raised above her head and her left arm resting on her hip. The statue sits atop a rectangular base, which bears the inscription "1930" on its front face. In the background, trees and flags are visible, although they are not clearly defined.
The statue appears to be crafted from stone or a similar material, and its surface exhibits a rough texture. The overall atmosphere of the image is one of serenity, with the statue and its surroundings evoking a sense of calmness.
The photograph is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
This black-and-white photograph, mounted on a green card, depicts a monument featuring a stone statue of a woman in a dynamic pose atop a rectangular base. The image conveys a sense of serenity.
Subject & Meaning
The statue, dated 1930 on its base, portrays a woman with one arm raised and the other on her hip, set against a backdrop of trees and flags. The subject's original context and commemorative purpose are obscured by the monument's 1933 demolition by the Nazis.
Technique & Style
The photograph's visual characteristics include a rough-textured statue, suggesting stone or similar material, and indistinct background elements due to the black-and-white medium and photographic techniques of the time.
History & Provenance
Part of William Kineton Parkes' collection, gathered through questionnaires to sculptors in the 1920s, the photograph was bequeathed in 1938. It is now held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
Created in 1930, the monument's brief existence reflects the tumultuous early 20th-century European political landscape, culminating in its destruction just three years later.
Legacy
The photograph serves as a surviving record of a lost monument, offering insight into early 20th-century sculpture and the destructive impact of wartime ideologies on cultural heritage.
Artist & collection
Artist
Benno Elkan spent his life dodging labels, born in Germany, he fled to England in the 1930s, carrying a camera like a diary.
