Standaard met drie foto-medaillons, portretten van prinses Marie van Oranje-Nassau en haar kinderen c. 1875 - 1880

Editor: This ornate metal stand features three photographic medallions portraying Princess Marie of Orange-Nassau and her children. It's believed to be made sometime between 1875 and 1880 by Bernardus Bruining. I’m really drawn to the intimacy it captures, a window into a royal family. The decorative art style reminds me of something you might find in a Victorian parlor, although the metal gives it an unusual edge. What leaps out at you? Curator: The object indeed whispers stories of family and legacy. The juxtaposition of metal—often associated with strength and permanence—with the ephemeral nature of photographs is intriguing. I'm immediately drawn to the symbolic weight. Imagine this object displayed prominently; it's not merely a decoration, but a declaration. It suggests continuity and remembrance, doesn't it? How does the artist’s choice of photography, still relatively new at the time, strike you? Editor: It feels like a deliberate choice. Photography offers a new kind of realism, contrasting the somewhat rigid formality we see in painted royal portraits. This feels...more human. Curator: Precisely! And look at those little velvet doors next to each portrait. I can't help but see the hint of both the display *and* concealment of private moments within the context of a very public life, which echoes themes of visibility and privacy, then and now. Editor: I hadn't thought about that, but that concealment aspect certainly adds to the mystique, doesn’t it? Curator: It does. Thinking about its place, carefully displayed, perhaps sometimes open, perhaps sometimes concealed, reflecting the many-layered identities of a princess, mother, and icon of the time...I keep coming back to the sheer humanity of this piece! Editor: Absolutely. I started by seeing it as a historical artifact but now I appreciate the complex story it encapsulates, beautifully blending public image with private life. Thanks so much for your insight!