Uniformen van Gardes en Huzaar 1795 - 1796

Here, we see a watercolor drawing entitled "Uniformen van Gardes en Huzaar" by S.G. Casten. The composition is neatly divided: the left side of the open notebook page is reserved for text, while the right side features three mounted soldiers. The artist's meticulous use of line and color immediately catches the eye. Casten's work is an exercise in the play of surfaces and representation. Each uniform is rendered with a focus on detail, emphasizing the materiality of the fabrics and the precision of the cuts. The color palette, dominated by blues, reds, and grays, adds to the sense of order and hierarchy, typical of military portraiture. But note how the flatness of the picture plane destabilizes any illusion of depth; it challenges traditional notions of perspective and realism. The drawing invites us to reflect on how the language of form communicates ideas about power, identity, and social structure. This isn’t merely a depiction of military uniforms, it's a study in how visual codes construct meaning.