The Falling Soldier

The Falling Soldier is a famous black-and-white photograph.

Its full title is "Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Cerro Muriano, September 5, 1936." The image was captured by the photographer Robert Capa. It depicts a soldier at the exact moment of his death. The man is shown collapsing backward after being fatally shot in the head. His rifle is shown slipping out of his right hand. He wears civilian clothing but also wears a leather cartridge belt. For many years, this image was considered one of the greatest photographs ever taken.

The photograph was first published in the French magazine Vu on September 23, 1936. It later appeared in the United States in Life magazine on July 12, 1937. At the time of its release, it was seen as a vital piece of documentary photography. It provided a raw look at the Spanish Civil War. The photo was believed to show a Republican soldier from the Libertarian Youth. Some people claimed the man was an anarchist militiaman named Federico Borrell García. For decades, the image was accepted as a true record of combat.

Since the 1970s, significant doubts have emerged regarding the authenticity of the photo. Many researchers question if the scene was staged. Staging means setting up a scene to look real rather than capturing a spontaneous event. During the Spanish Civil War, photojournalists often faced limits on their movement. They were frequently unable to reach active battle fronts. Because of these restrictions, some photographers resorted to taking pictures of soldiers feigning combat. This allowed them to still produce images of the war.

One major area of doubt involves the location of the photograph. It was originally claimed to be taken at the Battle of Cerro Muriano. However, researcher José Manuel Susperregui suggests it was taken in the town of Espejo. He reached this conclusion by examining the background of the image. He studied a range of mountains visible in the shot. Susperregui emailed images to historians in towns near Córdoba to identify the landscape. He received a positive response identifying the view as Espejo. Since Espejo was miles away from the battle lines, this suggests the photo was not taken during actual combat.

Other contradictions have fueled the debate about the photograph's history. Capa gave different accounts of the technique and vantage point he used. In a 1947 radio interview, he described the scene differently than in other accounts. He mentioned the militiaman was killed by machine-gun fire rather than a sniper's bullet. There is also doubt regarding the identity of the subject. While many believed the man was Federico Borrell García, evidence suggests otherwise. Records show García was killed at Cerro Muriano while sheltered behind a tree. He did not resemble the man in the photograph.

In 2007, a new discovery added more complexity to the mystery. A collection of negatives known as the "Mexican Suitcase" arrived at the International Center of Photography. These hundreds of negatives were taken to Mexico at the end of the war. While the suitcase contained many of Capa's works, it did not contain the negative for The Falling Soldier. Despite this lack of a negative, other images from the same series were found. Detailed analysis of these images shows they were also taken near Espejo. This supports the theory that the entire series may have been staged.

Despite these controversies, the photograph remains a significant subject in art and history. Some experts, such as Willis E. Hartshorn, have argued against the claims of staging. He suggested a soldier might have been killed by a sniper while posing for a photo. Others, like biographer Richard Whelan, continue to defend the photo's authenticity.

The image continues to inspire art, such as the sculpture "Freedom is not Free" by Yigal Tumarkin.

One printed edition of the photograph is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.