Beatrix in Canada 1945 - 1946

This photograph, "Beatrix in Canada," by Anefo, lives in the Rijksmuseum, and it's a study in grayscale, where the world is translated into shades of possibility. There’s a quality to black and white photography that feels so intimate, almost like a memory being recalled in the quiet of one’s mind. Anefo focuses on the small details, the way the light hits the subject’s hair and clothes. The grain is palpable, like the texture of a charcoal drawing. I can almost feel the cool, slightly rough texture of the paper, the density of the blacks, the subtle gradations of the grays. It's like a visual poem, filled with a quiet, unassuming energy. In some ways, I am reminded of the formal portraits of the 19th century. Like then, Anefo sees the value in honoring the process of making an image.