Man en vrouwen in Marker klederdracht 1875

George Clausen made this graphite sketch of men and women in Marker Trachten, or traditional costume. His focus on costume speaks to a wider interest in folk culture at the turn of the century. During the late 19th Century, as increased travel brought different cultures into contact with each other, fashion became a way of preserving identity. The people of Marken Island in the Netherlands, for example, developed elaborate clothing styles to distinguish themselves from tourists. Clausen himself was English, and the sketch highlights the fashion of a foreign culture. Clausen was a socially conscious artist known for his depictions of rural laborers. This drawing may be part of that tradition. The sketch offers some clues that it was not made for the consumption of those in the drawing as the pricing on the left hand side suggests. The piece therefore opens up questions about the artist’s attitude towards his sitters. Further research would be required into Clausen’s biography and the history of Marken Island during this time in order to fully appreciate its meaning.