Twee prentbriefkaarten van het bezoek van koningin Wilhelmina en prins Hendrik aan Versailles Possibly 1912 - 1916

Here we have a couple of monochromatic postcards of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henrik's visit to Versailles. I imagine the photographer having to think about the light, the composition, and the moment, like any painter. It's easy to forget that photography can be an art, too. Just think, which moment do I capture? Do I capture the carriage? The cannon? Maybe the photographer was thinking about the long tradition of royal portraiture, while at the same time aware of the newness of this medium. Photography was still pretty fresh at the time, so there’s probably an excitement, a giddiness to be able to document such an event so quickly and accurately. These postcards are a reminder that all artists, no matter their medium, are in conversation with one another. They are always building on the ideas of those who came before, finding new ways to express something universal, something fundamentally human.