Portret van Wilhelmina, koningin der Nederlanden Possibly 1891 - 1893

Curator: Here we see a gelatin silver print of Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands. The date is noted as possibly between 1891 and 1893. The photographer is Adolphe Zimmermans. Editor: There’s a stillness to it, a quiet formality, but the tonality strikes me as unexpectedly soft for what I know about early photography. The grays seem to bleed together a bit. Curator: Wilhelmina ascended to the throne in 1890 at the tender age of 10, under the regency of her mother, Emma. This photograph encapsulates the performative nature of royalty, particularly for a young girl stepping into such a powerful role. There's a deep sense of responsibility imposed upon her, an expectation to embody national identity and stability. Editor: That dress! It seems to absorb all light, creating a visual anchor that directs the eye upwards to her face. I find myself scrutinizing her posture—the set of her shoulders, the way her hands are clasped—all contained and composed. Even the slightly blurred background focuses my eye onto the young Wilhelmina herself. Curator: And it’s important to consider gender in relation to power here. A young female ruler in a world of established patriarchal monarchies created unique challenges and expectations. She was inheriting a system shaped by men but expected to represent it in a way that was seen as suitable and proper by societal standards for women at that time. Editor: Right. I almost get the sense she’s mimicking poses and compositional choices from oil paintings, only rendered in the cool remove of gelatin silver. It distances her from those visual tropes, though, making her seem all the more inscrutable. Curator: Looking at it through a contemporary lens, there is a sense of resilience, of a young girl stepping into her power despite immense societal pressures. This portrait provides insight into a transformative moment in Dutch history, as well as gender and class politics. Editor: And through form and tonal subtlety, we’re given this incredible record, even while Zimmermans' framing suggests that this subject is perhaps less visible than we imagine. It invites you in for a moment and holds you at arm's length all at once.