Customs Dream is a painting with a strange undertone; it assumes that customs officers dream of being allowed to grope women under the pretext of searching them. Not a very woman-friendly thought...Or is it? Aad de Haas also painted a series of erotic works showing men touching women in explicitly sexual ways. We do not know if the customs officer in the painting asked for permission, which is why we do not find the painting at all woke. Even if it’s just a dream, it’s an abuse of power.
The dream
A hazily painted customs scene with a mystical atmosphere. On the left, you see two customs officers in uniform. A woman is standing in front of the taller officer. Another woman is waiting her turn with her bag on her lap. Near the seated woman is a skinny dog with a snout so pointed it’s more like a bird’s beak.
Aad de Haas painted many such fantasy animals. In the niches in the background are statues representing Justice and the Law. On a plinth on the left is a statue of the Dutch Lion. The scene is encircled by a kind of stage curtain. The positioning of the depicted figures also looks rather like a play. The title Customs Dream suggests that this painting represents the secret wish of a customs officer, given that touching women was strictly forbidden. If no women were working at the customs post, the wife of the chief officer would be appointed a temporary customs assistant. In that capacity, the wives were paid a fee by the state for each woman they searched.
Fun fact
Today, it is a woman – Nanette van Schelven – who holds the top job at Customs.