Vrijwillige Jager der Leidse Hogeschool, 1830 1830 - 1831

Curator: Here we have Leendert Springer's watercolor "Vrijwillige Jager der Leidse Hogeschool, 1830", created around 1830-1831. Editor: Immediately, the precision in the details of the uniform catches my eye. It's fascinating to see such careful rendering in watercolor, a medium often associated with fleeting impressions. Curator: It’s quite interesting. Springer was documenting a very specific social moment here. These volunteer hunters, mostly students, were a response to political unrest and the desire for self-determination at the time. They embody notions of patriotic virtue, deeply intertwined with emergent national identity. Editor: So, beyond the aesthetic, we must also consider the production of that very specific uniform. Where were the materials sourced? Who were the tailors? These uniforms represent an enormous amount of largely undocumented labor and resources tied into a particular patriotic performance. Curator: Exactly! The costume itself becomes a marker of belonging, yet also speaks to potential exclusion. What did it mean to be *included* in this movement, and conversely, to be left out based on gender, class or background? Did the construction and accessibility of this garment enable or obstruct certain people's access to social visibility and power? Editor: Absolutely. It’s the material culture enacting and broadcasting societal structure. Thinking about it from that perspective opens up questions around value as well. What was the cost of that uniform in comparison to the everyday labor of a regular person at the time? Was it affordable? Curator: It definitely brings in the social inequities that such images often conceal. What appear to be just colors, lines, a handsome figure are loaded with class and ideological underpinnings! Thank you for unveiling some of those connections today. Editor: It’s been enlightening to see how looking through the lens of materials helps in deconstructing this carefully constructed persona. Seeing the image, and understanding how the uniform itself signifies so much is interesting, isn’t it?