Koninginnedag 1903 - 1908

Curator: This is Eugen Klein's "Koninginnedag," a photograph taken between 1903 and 1908, here on display at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There's a muted quality, a delicacy even, despite the formal occasion. It has the patina of age that softens the strict formality you’d expect. Curator: Indeed. It captures Queen Wilhelmina during Queen's Day celebrations. Think about the staged nature of royal appearances at the time. Klein documented an event carefully crafted to solidify public support and national identity. Editor: Look closely at the image, the soft-focus effect seems deliberate. Given the cumbersome equipment of the time, was it more about creating atmosphere than documenting with precision? The materiality is interesting. The clothing has detail, but seems very much hand processed for light and tones. Curator: That is an insightful point. It does humanize these figures—even royalty. The soft focus makes it feel like a dream. Klein seems to be very much constructing a visual narrative about royal accessibility and grace. These portraits become very effective political imagery of its time. Editor: I'm drawn to how labor informs everything from the manufacturing of such a large and flowing dress, as Queen Wilhelmina seems to have, to the photographer struggling with what seem like cumbersome devices. All creating an atmosphere to view it through the appropriate lenses. Curator: It is fascinating how photography becomes almost synonymous with constructing a visual representation of nationhood and the monarchy, and photography is a democratizing tool, but this image portrays anything but equality. Editor: Absolutely. Seeing the way material conditions shape both the subjects within and the medium through which we see them opens up many lines of inquiry about social meaning and historical events. Curator: Klein's photograph provides such a nuanced entry point for discussion and contemplation. I leave our listeners to consider how perceptions of the royal image change across time. Editor: Precisely. Ponder the contrast between what photography allows, the labor that has to occur and then how it presents itself. It is indeed a compelling and quite informative image.