Inhuldiging van H.M. Wilhelmina als koningin der Nederlanden, 1898 1898

This bronze plaquette was made by Johannes Cornelis Wienecke in 1898. It depicts the inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Its imagery connects to the wider cultural context of royal portraiture and the symbolic function of monarchy. The image creates meaning through visual codes such as Wilhelmina’s royal regalia and through its reference to long standing traditions of statecraft. Made in the Netherlands, it reflects the particular history of the Dutch monarchy, in which a young Queen inherited the throne following a period of political turmoil. Specific cultural features of the Netherlands such as its Protestant religious heritage, and its mercantile traditions, are also relevant. The institutional history of the Dutch monarchy—its relationship to the parliament, the military, and the Church—all shaped the inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina. Historians would use official documents and popular media to better understand the artwork. Art, here, is contingent on social and institutional context.