Portret van Juliana, koningin der Nederlanden 1930

This photograph of Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands, was created by Franz Ziegler using some kind of photographic process. There's an interesting play of light here, a delicate balance between what’s revealed and what remains in shadow. It reminds me of those old movies where everything seems to be just out of reach. There is a kind of blur, a sense of mystery that the artist seems to be pushing. Look at the way her dress drapes and flows, it almost feels like the work of fashion designer, someone like Madeleine Vionnet, who was also playing with light and form at this time. The pearls around her neck seem to catch the light, reflecting back into the image. A simple gesture, but also kind of powerful, you know? What’s great about art is its ability to open up these conversations, these connections across time, it's more about ambiguity than answers anyway!