Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileSoldier with Sword and Shield
Een soldaat met een zwaard in de rechterhand en een schild in de linkerhand, ten voeten uit. Op de achtergrond een heuvelachtig landschap waarin een troep soldaten marcheert. NL-HlmNHA 1477 53013129
after Hendrick Goltzius
About This Work
The soldier is depicted in flamboyant, ruffled clothing and a feathered hat, standing in a confident contrapposto pose. Behind him, a hilly landscape features a troop of soldiers marching with pikes, while the foreground shows a rocky outcrop and sparse vegetation. The print displays the characteristic muscular definition and dynamic line work associated with the artist's Mannerist style.
This work belongs to a series of twelve soldiers produced by Goltzius in 1587, reflecting the military pride and civic identity of the burgeoning Dutch Republic. Intellectually, the series resonates with the Neostoic values of discipline and fortitude promoted by Goltzius's mentor, the philosopher Dirk Volckertsz Coornhert, who often used military imagery to symbolize the 'soldier of virtue.'
Inscriptions
7