Koppen van figuren in Marker klederdracht 1875

George Clausen made this sketch of figures in Marker Tracht, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. The Marker Tracht, or traditional costume of the island of Marken in the Netherlands, is the focal point. How does Clausen engage with the existing visual culture? The sketch presents us with visual codes of the time. It's hard to ignore the politics of imagery in the late 19th century, a period marked by rising nationalism and folklorism, where traditional costumes became symbols of regional and national identity. What role does the artist play in constructing and perpetuating these identities? Historians of art, culture, and costume can give us a more detailed picture of the artwork’s original setting. Understanding the social conditions and institutional contexts helps to understand its deeper cultural meaning.