Onderofficier van het Genootschap tot Nut der Schutterij te Amsterdam, 1787 1787

This print, made in 1787 by an anonymous artist, shows an officer of the civic guard in Amsterdam. It’s a humble object made with watercolor on paper, not the sort of thing we usually associate with high art. Yet its value lies precisely in what it tells us about the world of labor and class. Consider the officer's uniform. The cloth, the tailoring, the buttons, the plumes on his hat - all required specialized production. The gun he carries was likely made in a workshop, by skilled laborers. And what of the artist? Probably trained in a print shop, they would have relied on knowledge passed down through generations. This image is a document of its time. It reflects the complex social and economic relationships that underpinned Dutch society in the late 18th century. So, next time you look at an artwork, remember to look beyond the surface. The materials, the making, and the context are all crucial to understanding its full meaning.