This photo from my father’s war-time album has the caption Brass Worker. The artisan has arranged his ewer, vases and bowls to appeal to buyers. The photographer must have noticed the verticals in the scene: the vertical fluting in the brass work, the long table legs, the artisan’s striped galabeya, the height of his fez, the line of his straight back.
I use this photo as my computer’s wallpaper. Each time I turn it on, I see a man who is in control, organised, a man who likes to arrange things; he’s creating something beautiful, requiring a unique skill. Someone I emulate.
Even though this is black and white, I can imagine how vibrant the brass would have been against the wood of the tables. His own hat would have been a bright accent to this scene he’s built, like a red setting sun surrounded by near golden clouds.
Thanks for your comment. You’ve reminded me that the hat would have been red. The stripes were possibly dark blue, something I’ve deduced from Rudolf Ernst’s painting “The Brass Workers” (or “The Metal Workers”) of 1888. I like the image you painted with words.
Nice interpretation, a picture with a memory attached,lovely a great take on theme. 😉
A great piece of history.
nice interpretation of arranged
http://amarnaik.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/weekly-photo-challenge-arranged/
Yes, it is, though I suspect that brass workers in Egypt today look much like this man of the 1940s. But I like to be romantic about the historical moments in my father’s photos. It helps me forget that he was there for a war.