Schutter der Provinciale Schutterij 1835 - 1850

Albertus Verhoesen created this print of a guardsman, or "schutter," using lithography, likely around 1848. Lithography involves drawing with a greasy crayon on a flat stone or metal plate, then applying ink that adheres only to the drawn areas. The resulting print emphasizes the uniform's details: the dark blue jacket, gray trousers with red trim, and the distinctive cap. Consider the social context: uniforms weren't just clothing, they represented civic duty and belonging to a specific social order. The crisp lines and flat colors, characteristic of lithography, give the figure a sense of precision and order, mirroring the values associated with military service. Although this is a two-dimensional image, try to consider the labor that went into making the uniform itself; the many hands that would have been involved. So, when you look at this print, you are seeing more than just a guardsman, but also the traces of human labor and the social structures of 19th-century Netherlands.