Man uit Zeeland 1562

François Desprez made this engraving, Man uit Zeeland, sometime in the 16th century. It's a simple image, but it speaks volumes about the cultural dynamics of its time. The print belongs to a popular genre of the era: costume books. These books, like Cesare Vecellio’s De gli habiti antichi et moderni di diverse parti del mondo, were illustrated catalogues of regional dress. They purported to offer ethnographic documentation but, more often than not, reproduced stereotypes and prejudices. Desprez’s “Man from Zeeland” is no exception. The figure, adorned with a peculiar hat and an oversized skirt-like garment, is depicted in a rather unflattering manner. This suggests a commentary on regional identity and perhaps even a subtle critique of rural life from a more cosmopolitan perspective. Understanding this image requires delving into the history of costume books and the cultural biases they perpetuated. By consulting period texts and visual sources, we can uncover the complex social dynamics embedded within this seemingly simple portrait.