Militairen te paard 1828 - 1853

This is a print titled ‘Militairen te paard’, or ‘Soldiers on horseback’, made by Broese & Comp. This print is essentially a typology, a classification system of military personnel and equipment in the Netherlands. The purpose of this print was likely educational, offering a visual guide to the different roles and responsibilities within the military. The print demonstrates a self-conscious approach to documenting and categorizing social roles. It reflects the broader cultural context of the time, which placed a strong emphasis on order, classification, and the codification of social hierarchies. Consider the institutional history here: the depiction of the military would be shaped by official regulations, uniforms, and social expectations about the behavior of the troops. In understanding this artwork, it would be useful to look at military archives, social histories of the Netherlands, and printed ephemera from the time, which would all help to give a better understanding of the social role of the military.