Dit prentwerk geeft u aan de hand, / Den militair' en burgerstand 1825 - 1838

This print was made by Hermanus van Lubeek, likely near 1800. It displays a grid of figures, each neatly framed, offering a glimpse into the military and civilian life of the period. The limited palette of muted yellows and reds, set against the starkness of the paper, suggests a world captured in a moment of transition. Van Lubeek uses a semiotic system through dress, posture, and activity to define the roles of soldiers, merchants, and commoners. The artist challenges fixed meanings through his use of symbols and the way he organizes the figures on the page. Each figure could be interpreted as part of a larger narrative, where the meaning arises not from the individual images but from their relation to one another. The formal grid structure itself acts as a framework that is not just aesthetically pleasing but also reflective of broader cultural and philosophical ideas about order, hierarchy, and the organization of society.