Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden 1890 - 1895

Editor: So, this is "Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden," taken sometime between 1890 and 1895. It's a photographic portrait of the future Queen Wilhelmina, and what strikes me is the starkness of the photo. What do you see here, thinking about the materials and process? Curator: Well, the albumen print itself speaks volumes. We must consider how this portrait served a specific social function, right? It wasn't simply a personal keepsake. Look at the crispness the albumen printing process provides, which created a standardized, reproducible image for wide consumption. Editor: Reproducible for consumption, yes. So, was it less about artistry and more about, say, political communication? Curator: I think it’s both. See, albumen prints are a meticulous and laborious process, turning egg whites and silver nitrate into a light-sensitive emulsion. This painstaking craftsmanship shows a certain amount of care. How do you think that level of involvement intersects with the creation of royal imagery at the time? Editor: Hmm. So, there is skill required, then. The lace detail would require precise manipulation and development techniques. That dress couldn't have been easy to reproduce so vividly back then. That seems to blur the lines a little bit between mere propaganda and actual artistry. Curator: Exactly! And considering how Wilhelmina came to the throne quite young, the image is being carefully managed through very specific material means, influencing public perception of the monarchy. What do we make of that lace now? Think of where it was made, by whom, for whom... Editor: Interesting point. It certainly forces you to think beyond the surface level of royal portraiture. Thank you! Curator: A perspective change always has a way of expanding one's understanding of history and its portraiture.