Portret van Beatrix, koningin der Nederlanden 1940 - 1942

This portrait of Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands, is an old photograph where you can see, even as a baby, she's already got that twinkle in her eye. It’s hard not to wonder, looking at this image, who was behind the camera, what the situation was like, and how much control they had over the subject! The dolls and animal figures around her head look like afterthoughts, scribbled in later. I can only imagine this image was a labour of love from a parent or grandparent, full of pride and affection, trying to capture something unique. There's something very generous about that desire to make a record, a shared memory, a trace of a moment, however imperfect. It reminds me that we’re all in conversation with each other, trying to make something lasting out of the everyday.