Portret van koningin Wilhelmina 1894

This is a photograph of Queen Wilhelmina, created by Kameke of The Hague. The formal portrait was a popular genre in the Netherlands during the late 19th century and it’s important to understand the power dynamics at play. Kameke was a court photographer, which meant that they were contracted to produce images of the royal family and other important figures. This position gave the photographer a great deal of power, as they were able to control the way that these figures were presented to the public. In turn, the royal family could use these photographs to shape their own image and to project an image of power and stability. The politics of imagery are on full display in this portrait of Wilhelmina. The young queen is depicted as a confident and composed ruler and this photograph would have been used to reinforce her authority and legitimacy. Historians of photography can use sources like photographer’s logs, newspaper articles and royal archives to learn more about the contexts in which photographs like this were produced and consumed.