Uniformen van de Amsterdamse schutterij van 1770-1783 1795

S.G. Casten created this watercolor depicting Amsterdam's Civic Guard uniforms between 1770 and 1783. The composition is structured by a stark division; the left page bears text, while the right features two uniformed figures standing on a flat, neutral ground. The artist employs color to differentiate the ranks. The figure on the left, adorned in blue with gold trim and an orange sash, exudes authority, whereas his counterpart, clad in brown, assumes a more subdued presence. The attention to detail in the uniforms' design and the men’s posture reflect the semiotic importance of dress in conveying social hierarchy and civic duty. This image operates within a system of signs, where colors, garments, and accessories communicate coded messages about identity and status. The division of the page mirrors a structural ordering of society itself. Each element is carefully positioned to reinforce a narrative of order and distinction within the Amsterdam Civic Guard.