Adelborst der 2e kl.e te Medemblik 1835 - 1850

Curator: Here we have "Adelborst der 2e kl.e te Medemblik," a watercolor created sometime between 1835 and 1850 by Albertus Verhoesen. It's currently housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Wow, what a dashing young figure! He looks a little… severe, though. That very high collar probably itches, and I'm betting that hat isn't helping. Curator: The work is an example of Romanticism, but more specifically, it is rooted in genre and history painting. You see it depicted as such and even note it by the detailed naval costume on display. This likely spoke to ideals of the rising Dutch identity and its connection with naval tradition. Editor: Definitely getting a stiff formality from that uniform. It's like he's permanently posing for a portrait, which, I guess, in a way, he is. Do you think people really stood like that all the time back then? Curator: It’s more about constructing an image, a carefully crafted representation of authority and status. How people "stood" socially, if you will. He stands on a bit of a pedestal, right? He holds himself and his saber at a slight but noticeable position to show what class and stature are. Editor: The colors are very muted, almost faded, like an old photograph. Perhaps to show status isn’t all there is to him; the hat's feathery plume also tries to soften the figure—which creates an odd push and pull. Does the museum have other pieces by this artist? Curator: Yes, we hold other artworks by Verhoesen in our collection. Verhoesen also painted horses and landscapes with military figures in addition to portraits similar to this. You see here Verhoesen adopts popular styles and helps convey the power structure during the height of colonial expansion. The Dutch identity was largely connected and shaped through it. Editor: Well, it definitely gives you a sense of a very specific time and place. I almost want to salute him... then maybe offer him a more comfortable hat. Curator: An astute observation. It is often these initial visceral reactions that trigger a cascade to better understand and place an image into an appropriate contextual space. Editor: And now, I’m picturing this guy in his scratchy collar attempting karaoke after a few too many. Curator: History—a story as much as a study of people, culture, and events.