Changing Perceptions of Workers: A Portrait of a Bricklayer, 1928
August Sander’s photography was aimed at portraying doctors, farmers, chefs and beggars with a certain blunt directness. Sanders wanted to show that we can learn from all layers of society, saying, “We can tell from appearance the work someone does or does not do; we can read in his face whether he is happy or troubled, for life unavoidably leaves its trace there.”
August Sander/Time
This image is considered his best portrait, of a bricklayer in Cologne, Germany. He wanted to show that although he’s a laborer, which requires sweat and hard work, he’s still proud. These photos changed the way people looked at workers.