Fragment van een vaandel van het derde afdeling infanterie Possibly 1846 - 1899

Jan Willem Pieneman created this fragment of a flag from the Third Infantry Division, using paint on fabric. The flag’s composition is dominated by a central emblem surrounded by a laurel wreath, which is a stark contrast to the ragged edges of the cloth. The muted yellow and faded colours give it an antique, almost ghostly presence. This deterioration, however, paradoxically enhances the flag’s structural elements. Consider the semiotic weight of the emblems: the crown, lion, and wreath. Traditionally, these symbols signify power, courage, and victory. Yet here, their representation is destabilized. The tattered fabric and faded paint challenge the fixed meanings typically associated with national pride, suggesting perhaps the transient nature of glory. It prompts reflection on how cultural symbols become altered over time. The flag’s materiality, its very fabric, tells a story beyond simple representation. It serves as a reminder that meaning in art is not static but evolves through cultural and historical processes.