Kostuum van Martigny, helper van Lodewijk XI van Frankrijk, uit het drama Louis XI à Péronne 1826

Louis Boulanger created this costume design for Martigny, helper of Louis XI of France, using pen, brush, and watercolor in the 19th century. The figure’s apparel is designed with blocks of color: a grey hat, a green robe with orange cuffs, a yellow top, and purple tights. He stands with one hand open and the other clenched as if he is on stage. Note how the figure's form adheres to the artistic conventions of its time, yet the costume colors offer a disruption. The green robe, in particular, drapes over the figure, seemingly destabilizing traditional markers of status and power. This sartorial choice, while rooted in historical costume, plays with semiotic codes. Consider how Boulanger uses color to create a character that unsettles the expected visual language of hierarchy. Such subversion through form questions fixed meanings. Art is never static; its interpretations evolve, shaped by our ever-changing cultural and philosophical understanding.