Nederlandsche Armée, Kolonel, Plaatselijke Kommandant 1823 - 1827

Editor: We're looking at "Nederlandsche Armée, Kolonel, Plaatselijke Kommandant," a watercolor work from sometime between 1823 and 1827, by Jean-Baptiste Madou. It has this slightly faded, storybook quality to it, depicting a military officer. What's your take? Curator: Faded, like a dream half-remembered. This colonel, standing between us and whatever's unfolding in that archway – what do you think he's commanding? Or perhaps, what does he *think* he's commanding? Editor: I guess he believes he’s in control of the situation? There are other soldiers in the background...it looks calm enough, maybe even mundane? Curator: Mundane in a watercolour fantasy, precisely! Madou's choice of medium softens the militaristic themes, don't you think? Romanticism often did that, glorifying whilst subtly critiquing. Consider that rigid posture against the blurred background… does it hint at the disconnect between authority and reality, or something else entirely? Editor: Hmm, a disconnect… maybe. I hadn’t considered the backdrop's haziness adding to that feeling of disconnect. Curator: Art often invites us to be detectives, piecing together intentions from faded hues. Maybe this is just a record of a uniform. Or perhaps, it whispers a deeper, more rebellious truth? It certainly makes you ponder what exactly this local commandant *is* in command of. It's as if he’s playing dress-up. Editor: I see what you mean. I initially just saw a simple portrait, but the contrast between the precise details of the Colonel and the faded background totally reframes it for me.