Twee prentbriefkaarten van het bezoek van koningin Wilhelmina en prins Hendrik aan Versailles Possibly 1912 - 1916

Here we have two mounted postcards from Neurdein Frères depicting Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Hendrik's visit to Versailles. Look at the tones in the images: the soft greys and muted whites are not aiming at realism, but they do create a mood. It's more about documentation, sure, but I'd say they still have a kind of beauty to them. Now, check out the surface and the texture. The original photo would have been a smooth, glossy surface, but now the print itself has taken on a new texture of age. Time adds another layer! I love how this piece embraces the idea of art as an ongoing conversation. You know, it reminds me of Gerhard Richter's photo paintings in a way. Richter worked from found photographs. The source image becomes something else entirely through his process. With this image, the Neurdein Frères' piece started off as a document, became a souvenir postcard, and then over time it has become something new. Art's always in conversation with time, memory, and with itself.