Inzegening van het huwelijk van prinses Juliana en prins Bernhard in de St. Jacobskerk in Den Haag, 7 januari 1937 Possibly 1937

Erich Salomon snapped this photograph of the wedding of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard in the St. Jacobskerk in Den Haag, back in 1937. The image is a study in contrasts, a dance between light and shadow, all caught in monochrome. Look at how Salomon uses the light, how it pours in through those arched windows, almost like a divine spotlight. It creates this incredible depth, pulling you into the scene. The crowd, a sea of faces, blurs into a single entity, while the bride and groom are picked out in sharp detail. It's a beautiful way of saying, "this is the moment." This photograph reminds me a little of the work of Felix Vallotton. Both artists are playing with form, using blacks and whites to create shapes that feel almost abstract. Ultimately art is about how we see and how we feel. Salomon invites us to witness a moment frozen in time, a royal wedding captured with such raw immediacy.