Maskerade van de Leidse studenten, 1870 (plaat 15) 1870

Gerardus Johannes Bos created this print titled, "Masquerade of the Leiden Students, 1870" using lithography, giving it a distinct graphic quality. The composition unfolds linearly, like a frieze, with a procession of horses and figures against a pale background. This arrangement emphasizes the horizontal, and the repetition of forms creates a rhythmic visual cadence. The eye is drawn from left to right, following the parade of figures. Note how the artist uses color sparingly, with touches of blue and red to accent the otherwise muted tones. The structural clarity in the composition invites us to decode the signs and symbols within. The classical allusions in costume and presentation point to an engagement with historical and cultural narratives, but equally there is a carnivalesque spirit which challenges fixed meanings, playfully disrupting solemnity and historical precision. The lithographic technique lends a certain flatness to the image. This flatness, paradoxically, is key to understanding how the work challenges conventional perspective, engaging with new ways of thinking about representation.