“In my opinion, he (James Nachtwey) is one of the most powerful photojournalists from the last century because of his ability to frame and compose images, even in such conditions, the care and attention that he dedicates to his photographs is the same care and attention he has to his subjects and the causes he denounces. The first thing that comes to my mind by looking at this image is the very strong reference to [Andrea Mantegna’s “Lamentation of Christ”]. I don’t even think that reference is conscious, but to look at the image and see the death of Christ, it’s already a photograph that makes you think. We are complex, full of contradictions; this complexity is something that is not accepted in our contemporary world.
“All of the issues that we need to reflect on when we speak about images of suffering, images of war, Susie Linfield wrote about in her book The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence, a must-read for people who are concerned with the history of photo criticism. Why do we judge the morality of the photographer more than what the picture is showing us? Can an image be at the same time horrible and beautiful?”
- Alessia Glaviano, Brand Visual Director of Vogue Italia and Director of Photo Vogue