Groepsportret van koning George V, koningin Mary en prins Edward 1910

This is an undated photograph of King George V, Queen Mary, and Prince Edward, made by an anonymous photographer. The approach here feels almost accidental, like a snapshot, but there's a carefulness to the staging. There’s an incredible range of blacks, whites and greys in this image; a limited palette of tonal colours where the focus is on texture, surface, and light. It’s not just what’s depicted, but the way it’s captured. Look at the Queen's fur stole – the way it catches the light, giving it a halo-like quality, and the crispness of the weave in the chair, each tiny intersection rendered in sharp focus. There's a similarity to August Sander’s portraits from the same period. Both used photography as a form of social documentation, capturing the nuances of their subjects through a mix of directness and nuance. Ultimately, this photo is about more than just the royal family; it's about the era itself, a moment frozen in time.