Twee prentbriefkaarten van een portret van koningin-moeder Emma en een bezoek van koningin Wilhelmina aan Parijs c. 1910 - 1916

This is a book page showing two postcards, likely from the early 20th century, portraying Queen Mother Emma and Queen Wilhelmina's visit to Paris, made by an anonymous photographer. The monochromatic tones create a subdued atmosphere, emphasizing the historical nature of the images. The contrast between light and shadow renders a tactile quality, as the images are literally 'touched' with light. In the upper postcard, the detailed lace of Queen Emma's dress is sharply rendered to give the image a very textural quality. Look closely at the way the photographer has framed the Queen’s carriage in the lower image, the dark mass of the carriage wheels echoes the dark forms of the horses, creating a visual rhythm. The straightforward approach reminds me a little of Eugène Atget's documentary photography of Paris – a similar capturing of a moment in time, both of which embrace a kind of beauty in the everyday. Ultimately, these postcards become small windows into the past, revealing as much about the era's aesthetic as they do about its historical figures.