Vaandeldrager in grote tenue, 1820-1825 1825 - 1827

A. Courtois made this print, Vaandeldrager in grote tenue, between 1820 and 1825. It depicts a Dutch standard bearer, resplendent in full dress uniform, holding a flag while standing in front of a line of soldiers. This print offers insights into the construction of national identity during the period following the Napoleonic Wars. The vaandeldrager, or standard bearer, occupies a position of honor. Bearing the national flag, he becomes a symbol of the state. What does it mean to bear the standard, to literally embody the nation? What does that responsibility look like? The very concept of bearing the standard evokes ideas of patriotism, valor, and sacrifice. I am curious about the tension between individual identity and collective representation. The vaandeldrager, while standing out as an individual, is also part of a larger military body, and stands for the whole nation. The print asks us to think about how individual identities are subsumed within the grand narrative of national identity.