Ex-Queen of Naples 1860s

Editor: This albumen print, "Ex-Queen of Naples," made in the 1860s by Furne Fils & H. Tournier, has such a compelling air of resignation. It's the direct gaze, maybe. What do you see in this portrait? Curator: The 'Ex' prefix immediately alerts us to a disruption in the natural order. A deposed queen... a woman who has lost her primary symbolic role. Look at how she’s wrapped in that shawl. The geometric border design--do you see how that mirrors a kind of shattered crown? Editor: Yes, I see it! It's not floral or organic; it's broken. But it's still present and worn with a regal air...it’s powerful and defiant! Curator: Precisely. And the hat—less a royal tiara, more of a traveler's cap. Notice how the photographers have chosen to present her: standing, in transit almost, not posed formally in finery within court walls, but rather out in the world... vulnerable and resilient. It reframes how we consider her. The usual royal symbols are replaced with suggestions of journeys and transition. This shift powerfully illustrates resilience when old symbols of power vanish. Editor: That makes me think about the power of photography itself, here. It can dethrone and then reframe its subject in a way paintings or sculptures of royalty never could. Curator: An excellent observation. The photograph democratizes and humanizes. And the mere act of naming her “Ex-Queen” creates space to interpret what that label carries. What future do you think she is creating for herself? What future are we creating for powerful women of the world today? Editor: Thinking about her place within our own current moment and seeing that defiant strength does make the photograph even more evocative. Curator: Indeed, photographs can be a powerful archive of emotional symbolism, capable of reflecting and reshaping our present understanding of ourselves and those around us.