Portret van Maria van Pruisen 1878 - 1949

This is a portrait of Maria van Pruisen, we don't know when it was made or by whom, but it’s here at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me is how, despite the limitations of monochrome, there's a real sense of the artist exploring tonal range and texture. Look closely, and you'll see how the artist uses delicate, almost feathery strokes to render the fabric of her jacket, and then there are those sharp, decisive lines defining the contours of her face. The dress is a velvety abyss. It’s like they’re feeling their way through the subject, figuring it out as they go. I think of other artists who used monochrome to great effect, someone like Gerhard Richter maybe, who used greyscale photography in painting to explore themes of memory, history, and representation. Ultimately it's like a conversation, each artist riffing on what came before, finding new ways to make us see and feel.