Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden 1915

This portrait of Queen Wilhelmina was made in 1915 by Thérèse Schwartze using pastel, watercolor, and gouache. What's interesting is the way Schwartze is playing with how much is ‘finished’ versus left open and unresolved. I love the way the cool blues of her dress almost melt into the neutral background. It feels like a really modern touch, this kind of dissolving effect. The handling of the face is very precise and detailed, but then other areas, like the shoulders, are much looser. The way the light hits her face, it's almost photographic, but not quite. It’s more than just rendering; it's about capturing the person and the feeling of a person. It's almost like Schwartze is having a conversation with photography itself, pushing back against it by embracing the handmade quality of painting. It reminds me a bit of John Singer Sargent, but with a distinctly feminine sensibility, capturing a specific kind of dignity and quiet strength.