Soldaat der Kompagnie Werklieden 1835 - 1850

Albertus Verhoesen rendered this hand colored engraving titled 'Soldaat der Kompagnie Werklieden', which translates to 'Soldier of the Company Workmen', sometime in the first half of the 19th century. At first glance, this image is of a solitary soldier standing at attention. Yet, if we consider the period in which the image was produced, we realize it's a study in military identity. This soldier is a member of the 'Company Workmen', part of the Dutch colonial army, deployed to places like the Dutch East Indies. The print subtly reveals the complicated layers of identity and labor during the colonial era. These soldiers, often recruited from the working classes, were essential to maintaining colonial infrastructure. Their lives straddled the line between military service and manual labor, blurring the lines between colonizer and colonized. As you stand here, reflect on the human stories behind this image, of lives caught in the machinery of empire, their identities forever shaped by the forces of labor, nation, and conquest.