Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden 1931

This is a photograph of Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands, by Franz Ziegler. I wonder, what was it like to be a royal portraitist? The weight of expectation, the need to capture not just a likeness but an essence, an air of majesty. The challenge of conveying power and authority in a static image. The Queen's stern gaze suggests the weight of her responsibilities, while the jewels and elaborate gown communicate status. It is an intriguing contrast. In many ways, a portrait is a conversation. The artist speaks through light and shadow, composition, and the sitter responds with their presence, their gaze, their pose. And then we, the viewers, enter the conversation, bringing our own perspectives and experiences to the encounter. Each time we look, the conversation shifts, changes, reveals new facets of both the sitter and ourselves.