Juliana, koningin der Nederlanden, en Irene, prinses der Nederlanden, in een auto te Den Haag op de verjaardag van Juliana op 30 april 1940 Possibly 1940 - 1944

Here we see an anonymous photograph, taken in Den Haag on April 30th, 1940, capturing Queen Juliana and Princess Irene in a car. The grayscale palette lends a timeless quality, like a memory softened by age, which is interesting as photography is typically about capturing a moment in time. Look at the queen's waving hand. It's so interesting how the photographer captured this gesture. There is a certain graininess to the image, isn't there? It reminds me that this wasn’t just an image, but a moment lived. The soft focus and the limited tonal range create an atmosphere of gentle nostalgia, almost as if the photograph itself is a little shy. It reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter's blurry photographs. Like Richter, the artist seems less interested in perfect representation and more invested in the feeling of a moment. In the end, art isn't about freezing life but feeling it, with all its beautiful imperfections.