José NICOLAS (1956) - Lot 234

José NICOLAS (1956) Gendarmettes, Montluçon school for female gendarmes, 1993 Digital print Signed, titled and dated in the margin On back, stamped, signed, titled, dated and located. Dimensions including margins: 30 x 24 cm Note: Taken in 1993, this photograph by José Nicolas captures an emblematic moment at the Montluçon School for Women Gendarmes, when the first generations of female gendarmes were making their mark in a still very male-dominated world. Gathered in tight groups, the recruits appear smiling, camouflaged and equipped, between the tension of training and palpable pride. Black and white reinforces the timelessness of the scene, emphasizing the faces and cohesion of the group. True to his humanist documentary approach, José Nicolas captures here not just a military image, but a testimony to the evolution of the gendarmerie and the growing place of women in the armed forces.