Man met steek en blauwe jas (Lodewijk Ernst Hertog van Brunswijk Wolffenbüttel?) 1700 - 1800

This watercolour, "Man met steek en blauwe jas," resides in the Rijksmuseum, crafted by an anonymous hand. The composition immediately presents a full figure portrait, defined by a restricted palette of blues, reds, and creams. The figure’s blue coat, accented with red trim, stands in stark contrast to the muted background, creating a visual hierarchy that centres the viewer’s attention. The colour and costume denotes rank and power within a rigid social structure, and a system of codes of aristocratic identity. Within the semiotic system, the hat and sword function as signs of authority, while the stance conveys formality and controlled composure. The artist subtly destabilizes this rigid representation through the flatness of the planes and lack of depth, challenging traditional portraiture's illusionism. The surface of the work becomes a field of signs that reference power and prestige, but do so within a self-aware, constructed manner. This work thus presents an individual, but more acutely it reflects the broader cultural codes and their inherent instability.