Zeeuwse boer en boerin in klederdracht 1803 - 1807

This print, “Zeeuwse boer en boerin in klederdracht,” was made by Ludwig Gottlieb Portman sometime before 1828, using etching and watercolor on paper. This work is an example of a 'fashion plate', a common genre in the late 18th and early 19th century. At first glance, it seems like an innocent depiction of rural life. But look closer at the medium and the making. The etching process, with its reliance on repeatable lines, suggests an interest in standardization, of imposing a certain character onto a culture. The hand-applied watercolor adds a veneer of charm, a way of 'dressing up' what would otherwise be a rather severe image. The very act of depicting these people in their traditional dress turns them into objects of visual consumption. Their clothing, a product of local craft and labor, is here transformed into a signifier of identity, a piece of cultural property. By emphasizing the materials and processes of this image, we can begin to understand the social context in which it was created.