Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden 1898

Editor: This gelatin silver print, "Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden" by Richard Kameke, dates from 1898. It has an ethereal quality. How do you interpret this work, especially considering its materiality? Curator: Well, a gelatin silver print produced in 1898 situates this portrait firmly within a moment of technological development. This photograph wasn't just about capturing the Queen's image, it was about using new industrial processes to disseminate it widely. We need to think about who had access to these images and how the mass production of such photographs shaped public perception of royalty. What kind of labor was involved in the photographic production and its distribution, compared to say, oil paintings? Editor: That’s fascinating! So, it's less about Wilhelmina herself and more about how photography democratized portraiture? Curator: Exactly. The material and its accessibility change the dynamics of power and representation. Before photography, such portraits were limited to the upper classes. Now, ordinary citizens could possess and consume the image of their Queen. Editor: I see, the process transforms what the image means. The mass production using gelatin silver creates the meaning just as much as her posed representation. It is fascinating to consider how photography transformed not only artistic production but also social structures and accessibility to powerful icons! Curator: Precisely, and that changes our relationship to her as a public figure. The photographic medium's proliferation democratizes power in intriguing ways by increasing her likeness.