The Canadian artist Jeff Wall is known for his breath-taking photographic works, whose composition and aesthetic draw on classical visual art. This is also reflected in the huge dimensions of the works, which play with a format that was traditionally the province of painting. In a carefully arranged composition, this work features three men in an outdoor setting. They are placed in the glow of the lamppost and framed by the telephone wire that passes across the top of the picture. Its cross-like composition lends the motif a quasi-religious touch. At first glance, we might assume that the three men are having a conversation. However, when we look more closely, the lack of interaction appears to reflect three separate inner monologues. In this work, Jeff Wall wanted to reproduce a situation, which outwardly might easily be interpreted as a conversation between friends in an urban setting. But that is far from the case, as is quickly revealed by the work’s dramatic lighting and carefully composed tableau. The three men were photographed standing on a stage. A photographic rendition of the urban environment was then installed behind the men like a theatrical backdrop. As a result, the method behind the photograph also highlights the theatricality of the motif and the expression of the work.