Kraag van kant gedragen door koningin Wilhelmina voor een getekend portret van Cor Visser c. 1939 - 1941

Editor: This delicate lace collar, dating from around 1939-1941, was worn by Queen Wilhelmina for a portrait by Cor Visser. The detail is just incredible! What stands out to me is how such an ephemeral material projects power and status. What’s your take? Curator: It's interesting that you immediately associate it with power. Lace, historically, certainly was a marker of wealth and status. Considering the time period – late 1930s, early 1940s – the creation and wearing of such a collar become particularly poignant. The Netherlands were under Nazi occupation, and royal imagery played a key role in maintaining national morale. Editor: So, the collar isn’t *just* a collar, but a statement? Curator: Precisely. The choice of lace, a product of skilled labor and intricate design, evokes a sense of tradition and national pride at a time when both were under threat. Queen Wilhelmina, in exile, used radio broadcasts and imagery to represent a free Netherlands. How might the choice of presenting herself in lace have contributed to that image? Editor: It definitely reinforces the idea of enduring elegance and unbroken tradition, something the occupation couldn’t touch. Almost like a quiet act of defiance. Curator: Exactly. It becomes part of a larger narrative about national identity and resistance during wartime. The public role of the monarchy and even something seemingly frivolous, like lace, gets imbued with deeper meaning. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. I was focused on its aesthetic beauty. Seeing it as part of a larger socio-political strategy is fascinating. Curator: Art, even in its smallest forms, often plays a role in shaping public perception and reinforcing power structures, particularly during moments of crisis. Examining art through its social and political context unveils hidden layers of meaning. Editor: Thanks, I definitely learned a new way to think about art today! Curator: Likewise, your initial aesthetic reaction points to the power these images hold. Combining these approaches is where the true understanding lies.