Titelprent voor de reeks uniformen van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, 1820-1825 1825 - 1827

A. Courtois created this print between 1820 and 1825 as the title page for a series of uniforms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Set against the backdrop of the newly formed Kingdom after the Napoleonic Wars, the print reflects a desire to establish a strong national identity through its military. Note the classical monument adorned with military regalia, a symbolic representation of power and order, standing as a kind of announcement. The uniforms themselves speak volumes about hierarchy and social standing, yet they also represent the individuals who wore them. The artist creates a tension between the individual and the collective, and between the romanticism of military service and the realities of war. This tension invites us to consider the human cost of nation-building and the role of the individual within the larger narrative of history.