Wilhelmina en Juliana op bezoek Possibly 1945 - 1946

This photograph, taken by Anefo, shows Wilhelmina and Juliana on a visit, sometime in the mid twentieth century. The grayscale captures a moment of formal exchange, a hand shake and a small bunch of flowers, framed by a dense crowd. It’s interesting how the picture creates a sense of depth with its many different tonal values, from dark to light. The crowd, the architecture, the car, the uniforms; all of these elements give the image a rich texture and help build a clear sense of the time and place of the photograph. Look at the way the light glances off the uniforms. This reminds me of the formal portraiture of someone like Gerhard Richter, who also worked with photographs as a key source material. Both artists share an interest in how images are made and what effect they can have on us. Photography, like painting, is a medium where process shapes the final image and this image reminds us of the power of a good photograph.