Bezoekers op het Marktplein van de nagebouwde stad Oud-Holland op de Wereldtentoonstelling voor het Hotel- en Reiswezen van 1895 1895

Jan Hoynck van Papendrecht captured this sketch of visitors at the World Exhibition for the Hotel and Travel Industry in 1895. It was a time when European nations were showcasing their cultural achievements while actively colonizing other parts of the world. Hoynck van Papendrecht provides a glimpse into the constructed reality of "Oud-Holland," or Old Holland. It's fascinating to consider how this idealized version of Dutch history was presented on a global stage, and who was invited to participate in this narrative. The sketch appears to be a bustling marketplace, filled with figures in period attire, yet it prompts us to consider which stories were being told, and whose histories were being erased or romanticized in the process. In many ways, this image is a reflection of the complex relationship between identity, representation, and power during the late 19th century. The emotional and personal dimensions of the artwork, invite us to reflect on how national narratives are constructed and consumed, and how they shape our understanding of the past and present.