En soldat med fældet bajonet. Profil t.h. 1807 - 1885

Niels Simonsen made this drawing of a soldier with a bayonet, but its precise date is unknown. The image is a window into the military culture of 19th-century Europe, a time of frequent conflict and shifting national identities. Consider the Danish context, with its own military history, including wars against Britain and Prussia. Simonsen himself was a veteran of the First Schleswig War of 1848-51. The soldier’s gaze and weapon ready for combat create a sense of tension. Was the image commissioned, or was it a personal study? Understanding Simonsen’s biography, and the archives of the Danish military, might shed light on this drawing’s intended audience and its place within the broader history of military art.