Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden 1918

This portrait of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was made by Herman Deutmann. I wonder what the artist was thinking as he created the oval that contains the portrait. It gives the composition such a neat and complete feeling. Was it a compositional choice decided in advance? The image appears to be a photograph which is then intervened upon with the use of dark and light tones, especially in the Queen’s hair and on her garment. See how the image has been worked into to create light where it might not have existed. Her expression appears neutral, yet there is a liveliness that comes through in the making of the photograph. As artists, we are always in conversation with each other, even across the grave. The process of making a painting is a site of inquiry for both the artist and the viewer, and it is so inspiring to see that happen here.