Portret van koning Eduard VII van het Verenigd Koninkrijk 1905 - 1906

Here is a photographic portrait of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, created by an anonymous artist at an unknown date. Looking at this tiny reproduction, it is difficult to get a sense of the original context; a page in a book perhaps? I wonder what the anonymous artist was thinking? A commission? A gift? A souvenir? The small size is remarkable, and so intimate! I find myself thinking about portraiture and it's role in the creation of identity. Consider all those royal portraits throughout history. The clothes! The crowns! What are they trying to convey? And how do we see these people now? The history of art is like an ongoing conversation, artists are constantly referencing each other, playing with ideas, and creating new meanings. The possibilities are endless and each artwork holds a multitude of stories.