Artwork Page for Untitled (Group of Men)

Details / Information for Untitled (Group of Men)

Series Title: Afghanistan, February 1880

Untitled (Group of Men)

1878–80

John Burke

(Irish, 1845–1915)
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Culture
Ireland
Medium
albumen print
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Whitehill Art Purchase Endowment Fund 2024.6.ddd
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

This album includes some of the earliest photographs of Afghanistan.

Description

The subject of this album is the Second Anglo-Afghan War, which was fought from 1878 to 1880. John Burke was the first photographer to photograph extensively in Afghanistan and the main photographer covering that conflict. The technology of the day did not permit action shots of battles. As is usual for early conflict photography, the pictures are landscapes of the sites of momentous incidents, views of camps and civil and military infrastructure, and portraits of the soldiers and their leaders.
A horizontally oriented albumen print depicts ten men with light skin tones gathered before a large canvas tent. Four stand behind four seated figures, while two recline on a textured cloth. Most wear light-colored uniforms and caps, several sporting mustaches. The men in front hold thin rods. Muted brown and tan tones define the composition, which captures the men looking toward us. Faint fading and scratches mark the photograph's surface.

Untitled (Group of Men)

1878–80

John Burke

(Irish, 1845–1915)
Ireland

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