Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden 1931

This photograph of Queen Wilhelmina was captured by Franz Ziegler, who lived from 1893 to 1939. I can imagine Ziegler carefully setting up his shot. The Queen must have been very still, so he could try to fix her image. The lighting is dark and atmospheric. The Queen is wearing a regal gown, complete with a tiara and jewellery. Her face is soft and expressive. I think of Holbein painting Henry VIII; there is something about royalty that seems to beg to be turned into a painting or photograph. When you look at this picture, you can see the start of our obsession with celebrity, with the image of royalty becoming more important than the person themselves. Photography changed painting forever, and Ziegler was part of that transition.