Drie mannen en een vrouw gekleed volgens de buitenlandse mode, ca. 1580 1872 - 1875

Around 1580, an anonymous artist created this print, now held at the Rijksmuseum, depicting three men and a woman in foreign attire. In this period, clothing was more than mere fabric; it was a potent signifier of identity, reflecting social standing and cultural affiliation. Notice how the garments drape and conceal, speaking to prevailing notions of modesty and gender roles. The woman’s covered form contrasts sharply with the men's display of status through their distinctive outfits, hinting at the complex negotiation of identity within the confines of societal expectations. Consider how fashion itself becomes a stage upon which one performs their belonging, or perhaps their resistance, to cultural norms. These figures, adorned in their "foreign" styles, prompt us to ponder the fluidity of identity and the ways in which we fashion ourselves in relation to others.