Prins Bernhard als piloot in zijn nieuwe Fokker Friendship Possibly 1960

W. Månsson made this photograph of Prins Bernhard as piloot in zijn nieuwe Fokker Friendship. The tones are beautifully graded, like the piano practice that structures our understanding of dissonance and harmony. I find myself looking at his jacket; the tweed texture is so palpable in the photograph, its dark flecks giving the image a strong material presence. I'm thinking about the way the light falls on his face, and how it models his cheek and brow so that we can feel his presence in the cockpit. Even though the switches and dials are relatively soft, they give a great impression of three-dimensionality. The textures seem so vital, almost as if I can feel him there in the airplane. It is about the presence of mind of this man in his machine. It reminds me of Lee Friedlander, who photographed people in the 60s and 70s. Like Friedlander, Månsson understood that photography is never just about the subject; it's also about the photographer, the camera, and the moment in time. It's this kind of open-endedness that makes art so endlessly fascinating.