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The competition for the Emma monument in The Hague in 1934-1935 took a remarkable course. From the many entries, the jury, which included prominent sculptors, chose the design by Lambertus Zijl (1866-1947) as the best. Yet the organising committee preferred the design by architect Co Brandes and sculptor Toon Dupuis. Van Zijl was not selected, despite the positive opinion of the jury. Amsterdam took advantage of this. Van Zijl executed his design three years later.
This state of affairs is typical of the commissioning circuit before the Second World War. Not that progressive juries repeatedly clashed with more conservative ones, but in this particular case the jury could not prevent the committee from awarding the commission to the Belgian-born sculptor with a conservative style: Dupuis.
The most striking part of the monument in the rosary on Jozef Israelsplein is by his hand: the effigy of Emma. She is seated in the centre, on the right the nine coats of arms of the provinces and the inscription 'Mother of the Netherlands', on the left the Orange coat of arms and the inscription 'H.M. Queen Emma'. She is depicted more than life-size as a throning Matres Familias, stately and with absolute dominance. Dupuis' formal language also makes her look soft and warm. The material used, a brittle sandstone, also contributed to this.
This effect was nullified by a restoration in 2000. The sculpture was badly damaged and had to be remodelled. Then it was cast in bronze. The beloved Queen Mother now stands there in the erosion and vandalism resistant deep dark green bronze.