An Italian lady in costume 

Carl Haag painted this watercolor, “An Italian Lady in Costume,” sometime in the 19th century. Haag, a German artist who would later become a member of the British Royal Academy, was known for his detailed and romanticized depictions of people and landscapes from his travels. Here, the anonymous woman’s traditional costume becomes a focal point. The whiteness of her blouse, the finery of her dress and headscarf could be seen as Haag’s way of documenting and preserving what he saw as authentic Italian culture. Yet, we might also consider how such representations can flatten the complex identities and lived experiences of individuals, turning them into symbols of a particular cultural narrative. What does it mean to capture someone's identity through the lens of costume, and how does this act reflect the power dynamics between the artist and the subject?