Koningin Wilhelmina, prinses Juliana en prins Bernhard in een rijtuig voor het paleis op de Dam in Amsterdam c. 1936 - 1938

Sem Presser captured Queen Wilhelmina, Princess Juliana, and Prince Bernhard in a carriage outside the Palace on the Dam in Amsterdam with his camera. This photograph seems really posed, but then again, what photograph isn't? The subjects are aware of the camera, and it is hard to know what is being shown here. You can feel the social relations, just under the surface. The image is a record of a public moment, but what story is being told? The textures in this piece are amazing. Look at the fur collar, the woven bonnets, and the royal wave, all captured in shades of grey! I’m curious about the relationship between photography and painting. Each act involves similar aesthetic decisions; framing, composition, tone, mark-making and the final, physical manifestation of an idea. The white sign with a line through the centre creates an amazing graphic moment in the composition. It also speaks to the controlled nature of this public scene. The carriage cannot go this way.