Militair te paard neergeschoten 1674 - 1733

Jan van Huchtenburg created this print called 'Militair te paard neergeschoten' - 'Military Man Shot on Horseback' - sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. Huchtenburg lived through a period of significant military conflict in the Netherlands, including the Franco-Dutch War. The print captures a chaotic scene of battle. A soldier is falling from his horse, presumably shot, amidst the smoke and turmoil of combat. What does it mean to be a man in times of war? What kind of toll does it take? Consider the identities and roles imposed on individuals during wartime. The print presents a scene of violence, yet it's also a study in masculinity and power, revealing the vulnerability inherent in the figure of the fallen soldier. Huchtenburg, who specialized in battle scenes, presents here not just the glory of warfare, but also the brutal reality and the human cost. It invites us to contemplate the narratives we construct around conflict and the individual stories often lost in grand historical accounts.