A Friar and a Soldier, from Das Bossenbüchlein 1577 - 1587

Mathais Beitler created this pen and brown ink drawing called "A Friar and a Soldier" sometime between 1600 and 1616 in Germany. It depicts a member of the clergy in conversation with an armed soldier. The print is from a book called "Das Bossenbüchlein," which translates to "The Little Book of Caricatures," so it may be a satirical image. These two figures represent the primary conflicting institutions during the early 17th Century: the church and the military. With the backdrop of religious buildings on the left and military tents on the right, Beitler’s print seems to comment on the pervasive social impact of these institutions at the time. The question then becomes, is he making a moral judgment, or simply creating caricatures? Further research into the "Bossenbüchlein" series and the Thirty Years War may shed some light on this drawing's social commentary.