Uniform van de officieren van de veldartillerie, 1845 1845

Curator: My initial impression is, goodness, the hat! That stovepipe seems precarious atop his head! Editor: Precisely! This is "Uniform van de officieren van de veldartillerie, 1845" a genre painting rendered in watercolour and coloured pencil by Louis Salomon Leman. What initially appears comical, reveals a deeper entanglement with 19th-century European military ambition. Curator: Right, because fashion is never *just* fashion. I love how Leman has captured the tension between the man and the horse. The horse is all nervous energy, while the officer maintains this rigid composure...it's so theatrical, almost performative. Editor: The "performance" you pinpoint aligns perfectly with the rising fervor of nationalism across Europe at the time. These uniforms, ridiculously ornamented as they are, functioned to distinguish national identities, fortifying the visual cues of "us" versus "them." Curator: So, these fellows were essentially walking billboards for the nation-state? It does seem that the real art here isn't the horse or the man, but the uniform itself. Think of all the craft and labour dedicated to that immaculate braiding and those gilded epaulettes! Editor: A crucial observation! These uniforms required the extraction of natural resources and exploitative labor practices, and this economic engine often relied on colonial power dynamics and global resource extraction. So the "billboard" also functions as a subtle reminder of state violence. Curator: I have such mixed feelings! Part of me wants to poke fun at its pompousness, and another part truly admires Leman's craftsmanship. It is delicate but purposeful. Editor: And perhaps those conflicted feelings are key? It provokes critical thinking regarding historical portrayals of power and how we still grapple with legacies of nationalism and militarism. Curator: Definitely given me food for thought. Time to trade that stovepipe for a thinking cap, perhaps. Editor: Indeed. May we never underestimate the quiet violence of seemingly "innocent" images.