In deeze prent zullen de kinderen kunnen opmerken: dat de aart van elk gewest, en de bijzondere kleeding van elk volk, de menschen van elkanderen zeer duidelijk doen onderscheiden 1805 - 1808

This print, made by Gerrit Oortman, presents a series of figures, each pair or individual framed to distinguish people from different regions through their attire. The stark contrasts of black ink on the white paper create a visually arresting composition. Oortman uses clothing to signify identity, a visual language that invites us to consider how cultural signs are constructed and interpreted. The rigid framing of each figure evokes the structuralist concept of binary oppositions, setting up contrasts between ‘us’ and ‘them,’ civilized and un-civilized. The prints become a semiotic system, where clothing functions as signs carrying cultural codes, and the composition reinforces a world rigidly divided by perceived differences. This work challenges us to decode the power structures inherent in representation. It prompts a critical examination of how we assign meaning and construct identity through visual cues.