Officier van Gezondh. 2e Klasse der Schut.ij 1835 - 1850

Curator: Ah, yes, Albertus Verhoesen’s “Officier van Gezondh. 2e Klasse der Schutterij,” created sometime between 1835 and 1850. A rather curious watercolour illustration, isn't it? Editor: It strikes me as almost… playful, despite the officer’s stern expression. It’s that tiny pedestal he’s standing on. He looks like a figurine. Curator: It's interesting that you observe this. The materiality here is significant. Think of the watercolor itself—the pigment sourcing, the paper production—each stage deeply embedded in the economic and social currents of 19th-century Netherlands. Editor: Yes, but back to the figurine effect... he looks isolated. It’s hard to feel his authority. More like an actor on a minimalist stage if you ask me. Is it just the awkward platform or is it the colouring too? Curator: Colour and composition work in concert to underscore meaning. Watercolour allowed for mass production and therefore the accessibility of such imagery depicting members of the Schutterij, a civilian guard crucial to maintaining order in Dutch towns and cities, also serving as points of assembly. The use of such relatively cheaper material as watercolour made them part of a rising middle class. Editor: Cheap labour means art for more people, which is so relevant today as well, or is it? Anyway, I wonder what sort of person collected such images then? Is there even supposed to be a face or feeling we should read behind this formal mask of uniform? Curator: Likely aspiring to integrate with the emerging bourgeoisie, emulating its visual codes. Verhoesen crafted these illustrations specifically to appeal to their tastes. The drawing is trying to do multiple things here—project status, and project an idealised masculinity or role model that's attainable by more people than some faraway hero on a battle field. Editor: Makes sense. Now I see more than just a painted toy soldier! The labour and the intention really do transform our view. Thanks for all this new depth! Curator: A worthy object lesson of the dialogue of aesthetics and production then. My pleasure.