Portret van koningin Wilhelmina 1898

This is a portrait of Queen Wilhelmina, made by De Lavieter & Co. It’s a photograph, likely produced using a process involving light-sensitive materials, chemical development, and careful printing. The very act of capturing an image was once a complex, alchemical process, vastly different from the instantaneity we know today. The portrait itself, with its oval frame, speaks to the formal conventions of the time. But consider the social context: photography democratized portraiture. It moved image-making away from the exclusive realm of painting, making it more accessible to a broader segment of society. The very existence of this photographic portrait underscores the shift in how images were produced, distributed, and consumed, signaling a move towards mass production and a wider circulation of imagery in society. Looking at this portrait, remember the layers of craft, technology, and social change that it embodies. It is a testament to how photography reshaped our perception of the world.