Gerard Reve (en Hanna Michaëlis) na het ontvangen van de Romanprijs van de gemeente Amsterdam (voor Op weg naar het einde) 1966

This image captures Gerard Reve and Hanna Michaelis after Reve received the Amsterdam prize for literature. It was taken by Anefo, who were a collective of Dutch photographers. Looking at their faces, I wonder what they’re thinking. What does success feel like? Do you feel proud? Relieved? This looks like a rare moment of calm between events. The prize is rolled up in Reve’s hands. I wonder, did he want to open it straight away and see what it was or was he happy to wait? I like the rows of heads behind them. People looking on and observing. I’m always intrigued by the relationship between the subject and the viewer and I wonder what they were making of Reve and Michaelis? Photography offers a different way of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world. I bet Anefo were thrilled to capture this moment. It's all about conversations between artists, photographers, and writers—we are all constantly inspiring each other's creativity.