Fotoreproductie van een getekend portret van Marie Antoinette before 1866

This photograph reproduces a drawn portrait of Marie Antoinette. The conspicuous pearls adorning her hair and neck serve as potent symbols of wealth and status, yet they subtly echo the tears associated with mourning. Consider the pearl's journey through art history – from Botticelli's Venus, where it symbolizes purity, to later Dutch still lifes, where it hints at vanity and transience. Here, in Marie Antoinette's portrait, the pearl's dual nature encapsulates her tragic fate. We are subconsciously aware that the monarchy’s opulence contributed to its downfall, provoking a deep emotional response in the observer. This photograph doesn't just present an image of a queen, but also stirs our collective memory of a turbulent period. The pearls, like ghostly echoes, remind us of the cyclical nature of history, where symbols are reborn, carrying the weight of past joys and sorrows.