Portretten van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden, en Emma, koningin-regentes der Nederlanden 1897 - 1899

This is a collage of photographic portraits of Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, and Emma, Queen Regent, of unknown date and authorship. The work is created from paper, a seemingly simple material that belies a complex history of production. Consider how photographs, once unique and precious, became easily reproducible through mechanical means, thus accessible to a wide audience. The collage form itself speaks to a democratizing impulse, fragmenting and reassembling images in a way that challenges traditional hierarchies of representation. The act of cutting and pasting, of arranging these portraits alongside floral motifs, suggests a hand-made quality, a personal touch that contrasts with the mass-produced nature of photography. Ultimately, the value of this work lies not in its technical virtuosity, but in its reflection of a changing social landscape, where images of royalty are both ubiquitous and subject to individual interpretation. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward materials carry within them layers of meaning, shaped by the forces of labor, politics, and consumption.