Groepsportret van kinderen in boerenkleding 1881 - 1901

This is an undated photograph by the Cordes Brothers, titled “Group Portrait of Children in Peasant Clothing.” Here we have a collection of children dressed in what seems to be idealized versions of traditional Dutch peasant attire. It's interesting to consider why, during a time of rapid urbanization and industrialization, there was such a fascination with rural life. These costumes might represent a longing for a simpler, perhaps romanticized, past. Note how these children are presented; their attire is clean, neat, and picturesque. It seems more about staging an idea of “Dutch-ness,” rather than reflecting the realities of rural life. What does it mean to perform an identity that may or may not be your own? The photograph captures not just a group of children, but a moment in time when ideas of national identity and cultural heritage were being actively constructed and negotiated. This image serves as a reminder that identity, like art, is often a carefully constructed performance.