About this artwork
In September 1991, the Romanian miners marched on Bucharest to protest about their appalling working conditions. Their actions led to the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescu's oppressive regime in 1989. Sean Hudson witnessed these events and his photographs subsequently appeared in British newspapers. Although printed with the caption 'Strong-arm politics', this image emphasises the miners' more detached evaluation of the situation. Hudson's sympathy with their circumstances is suggested by the intimacy of the scene and his concentration on their joined hands - symbols of labour and collective struggle.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Sean Hudson (1935 - 1997) British
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title:Miners with a Caretaker at Parliament Buildings, Bucharest
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date created:1991
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materials:Gelatin silver print
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measurements:20.30 x 25.40 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Presented by the photographer
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accession number:PGP 92.21
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gallery:
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subject:
Sean Hudson
Sean Hudson
Hudson trained as a photographer and cameraman in the late 1950s, during the early years of the British realist film movement. He assisted directors as eminent as Ken Loach, Mike Hodges and Jean-Luc Godard. He also shot his own documentaries and as an activist in the Workers' Revolutionary Party...