Gekostumeerde optocht van 1841: ruiter en voetsoldaten (blad II) 1841

This watercolour drawing depicts a historical procession from 1841. The artwork is dominated by a horizontal composition, where the linear arrangement of figures and the limited depth create a sense of a flattened, frieze-like space. The anonymous artist uses a striking visual language, characterized by alternating red and white stripes of the costumes, which produce a rhythm that drives the viewer’s eye across the image. This visual rhythm challenges traditional notions of hierarchy in art, suggesting a more egalitarian, visually dynamic structure. The procession, composed of foot soldiers and officials dressed in various historical costumes, invites a semiotic reading. The artist's decision to highlight pattern over individual detail introduces a structuralist element, reducing the figures to components of a larger symbolic arrangement. The image’s formal qualities—the linear organization, repetitive patterns, and limited depth—destabilize established expectations of historical representation. This invites us to question the very nature of historical narrative, and the function of art within it.