Portret van koningin Emma c. 1900 - 1925

This is a photograph of Queen Emma by Adriaan Boer. I wonder what it was like for them both in that moment? A photographer is so vulnerable in front of the sitter, like a painter. They stand there, looking, trying to capture a likeness, but also to create a picture. You know, something new. Boer captures Emma standing next to a table, looking regal and composed. She has a dress and lace veil on, and they look soft in the photograph. Maybe the artist felt like a painter, trying to capture the light just so, to show her strength, but also her humanity. It makes me think about all the portraits I've seen over the years, the way artists try to capture something essential about a person. It is really moving, the vulnerability to witness and record another.