Portret van jeugdige koningin Wilhelmina 1905 - 1912

Here is an early photograph of Queen Wilhelmina, made by Guy de Coral & Co. It's black and white, so it has a restrained palette, but what interests me is how the artists handle the textures. You know, it's all about turning light into form. Look at the way the light falls across her dress, it's like they're sculpting with shadows. The dress itself, with its lace details, looks almost painted on, it’s like a study in light and dark, almost like chiaroscuro. And then there's her expression, that tiny little smile... it’s almost impossible to tell what she’s thinking. I think it’s interesting to compare the work of someone like Gerhard Richter who also worked with photography as a starting point, but pushed it to a totally different place. This photo and his paintings make me think about how artists have always been in dialogue, building on each other's ideas, even across different media and eras.