Photographs of the Crimean War

In this picture of soldiers in Crimean, we can see that firstly Fenton has taken it to show the relaxed, well equipped, and generally brighter side of the situation. The picture consists of eight men and two horses, and appears not to be under any stress. By showing an image of soldiers behind the fighting line, it would create an interest to the public which would make people buy them during the war, however after the war people lost interest and so the negatives were auctioned off. In addition the soldiers are shown to be having a peaceful moment at a time of such hectic peril, as Fenton avoided making pictures of dead, injured or mutilated soldiers. Further more, the fact that Fenton studied art could have an influence in the way he would take his pictures, as he would add his artistic flare to his subjects, and perhaps ask them to pose in a different way to which they usually do, and so it could make the source unreliable in telling people what the war was like. The picture shows to men smoking, a man pouring a drink and another reading a newspaper, showing how Fenton created everyday life in his pictures, and showing how the soldiers are not neglected, hardly as devastating as some reports had depicted.