Matrozenhoed Koninklijke Marine ca. 1870-1880 c. 1870 - 1880

Curator: What a curious image, a study in austerity, really. All those smooth planes rendered in shades of, well, nothingness. I keep wanting to see it pop, you know? Editor: I’m drawn to the hat’s somberness. I see a deliberate absence of ornamentation, echoing the rigid hierarchies and disciplined lives of naval officers in that period. Curator: Right, because we’re looking at a photograph of a Koninklijke Marine sailor’s hat, likely taken somewhere around 1870 and 1880. Apparently, Willem Pauwels & Zn. held the camera, or should I say, the collodion-soaked glass plate. Editor: Hats, like flags or uniforms, act as a form of language. The shape and design would have immediately communicated rank and allegiance to everyone familiar with the Navy's regulations. The darkness evokes seriousness, respect for tradition and possibly the weight of responsibility. Curator: And that language is pretty blunt here. It looks utterly unadorned—so, very purposefully coded, I guess. It projects an almost…uncompromising quality. A no-nonsense directive: do your job, serve. It also just looks remarkably heavy! Editor: Definitely. While now it seems strangely austere, imagine seeing rows of these hats worn, conveying uniformity of purpose. Even its simplicity is symbolic, minimizing individuality for the sake of collective identity and shared cultural values. Curator: Well, it's not going to win any beauty contests, but there's a directness that compels you. No distracting details; you're forced to confront the essence. Is that the artist's doing, or simply the distillation of the object? Makes you think, huh? Editor: It prompts thoughts about power, control and what visual signifiers communicate to society. Seeing it now, decontextualized, we can read so much into the choice of material, colour, shape. I agree—thought-provoking! Curator: For me, it reveals how an everyday, even mundane item, when isolated and presented as the focus, carries a peculiar significance. Editor: For me, it is interesting how an artifact from the 19th century echoes issues that are very important now; power, class, uniformity, or belonging. Thank you!