"The photo appears to capture a Republican soldier at the very moment of death. The soldier is shown collapsing backward after being fatally shot in the head, with his rifle slipping out of his right hand. The pictured soldier is dressed in civilian clothing, but is wearing a leather cartridge belt. Following its publication, the photograph was acclaimed as one of the greatest ever taken, but since the 1970s, there have been significant doubts about its authenticity due to its location, the identity of its subject, and the discovery of staged photographs taken at the same time and place."
This photograph was mentioned in Susan Sontag's essay Regarding the Pain of Others:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/283315 currently held in the met museum in NY. the description doesn't mention anything about it being possibly staged. might explore more into these war images, like those that Capa captured. something about it... is intriguing me like never before. I don't think I paid special attention to photographs such as these before as I feel desensitised but also overwhelmed by the wealth of images we have gathered in history.
my friend was telling me about this french photographer eugene atget who has fantastic photographs, which feels very modern in his time. a strange contrast of capturing the everyday in this time capsuled atmosphere of the black and white. I must also investigate this further.
https://www.moma.org/artists/229