Schutter van 's-Gravenhage, ca. 1700 1690 - 1710

Curator: Well, look at this impressive figure! This is "Schutter van 's-Gravenhage," a print dating from around 1700, attributed to Daniël Marot. It depicts a militiaman, part of the civic guard of The Hague. Editor: He certainly makes an entrance, doesn’t he? That elaborate hat practically screams status, and yet… there’s something almost cartoonish about the overall effect, isn’t there? He’s both imposing and a bit ridiculous. Curator: I think that's deliberate. The schutters often represented civic pride and were sometimes subjects of gentle satire. His oversized plumes and numerous symbolic accessories suggest an aspirational image of authority. Each element – the musket, sword, and baton – echoes tradition and power. Editor: Power communicated through extreme adornment. You can see that carried through in the construction of the image itself, the artist meticulously etching every flourish, fold and trim of his outfit, the surface itself worked with care and time. Think of the labour and craft dedicated to capturing the exquisite details, translating tangible wealth and rank. Curator: Indeed. Beyond sheer display, it shows the evolving ideals of civic participation, visually codified through clothing and weapons that serve as external signs of communal engagement. Those aren't just decorations; they embody an agreed-upon civic language of responsibility. Editor: And yet the more decorative it becomes, the more performative the statement reads. The details become commodified status symbols, where the individual’s commitment blends into a more broadly accessible expression of rank, even a costume. It points toward the role consumerism and visual spectacle began to have on social structures of the era. Curator: That’s a very interesting point, the line between sincerity and affectation must have been fascinating to contemporaries. Editor: Fascinating to us now as well, trying to determine the story this person intended to portray, and whether they knew just how complicated these symbols might read centuries later!