Prinses Juliana met prinses Margriet, prinses Irene en prinses Beatrix 1943

Here's an undated photographic postcard made by an anonymous artist showing Princess Juliana with her daughters. The photo is split into three frames, like an early attempt at a photo-booth strip. What strikes me is the way the artist treats light and shadow. It's like they are sculpting the figures from darkness. Look at the way the light catches the folds in the princesses’ dresses. The texture is so subtle, almost like charcoal or a soft pencil. It’s about building up the image slowly, layer by layer. In the middle panel, the contrast is so strong that the princess almost disappears into the foliage. Think about the process of making a photograph: capturing a fleeting moment, making it solid and fixed. This anonymous artist is reminding us that making a piece of art is always a process of exchange between light and shade, the seen and unseen. It reminds me of the work of Gerhard Richter, someone else interested in the subtle interplay of light and representation. Art is always a conversation across time.