Post-mortemportret van koningin Astrid 1900 - 1950

This photograph of Queen Astrid, whose maker is unknown, captures a moment of profound stillness. It’s all in black and white, which gives it a timeless, ghostly feel, like a memory fading at the edges. I imagine the photographer hovering, trying to frame the composition to get it right, wanting to capture something that’s impossible to capture. The details are so telling: the floral arrangements, the whiteness of her satin dress. The way the light falls makes me wonder, what does it mean to make a picture like this? What does it mean to witness, to frame someone's passing? It's like the photographer, is trying to say something about life, loss, beauty... you know, all the big stuff. There is an exchange of ideas happening here; between who the Queen was, who the photographer was, and who we are. It allows for multiple interpretations, and maybe, that’s the point.