Feest ter ere terugkeer prinsesjes in Nederland 1945 - 1946

This black and white photograph by Anefo captures a "Celebration in honor of the return of princesses to the Netherlands". I can imagine the artist setting up their equipment, considering the framing, the light... What was in focus? What was blurred? The eye travels through a sea of faces of children and adults. I can only guess what the artist might have been thinking; probably something like 'get the light right!'. The sharpness makes one little girl stand out in the foreground, her hands clasped, and bow in her hair. It feels like a snapshot of a moment frozen in time. It also makes me think about looking itself—because photography is so close to seeing. What does it mean to really see something and capture it? How much intention and chance is there in this particular image? All the people gathered together for the party is a testament to the fact that artists are in an ongoing conversation across time, inspiring one another’s creativity, documenting important and historical moments.