Soldaat met zwaard en schild, van achteren gezien 1587

Pieter Maes made this engraving of a soldier with sword and shield, from behind, sometime in the 16th century in the Netherlands. We see a soldier standing on a small cliff, towering over a battlefield, with a sword and shield. In the background, other soldiers seem to be either in pursuit or retreat. The soldier's dress is extravagant, the opposite of practical, which speaks to the culture of militarism in Europe at this time, when the aristocratic class dominated military leadership. The artist may be commenting on the absurdity of war, or he may be simply depicting the social reality of military structure at the time. The caption below the image speaks to the importance of war. The context of this image can be researched through an understanding of the role of the military in 16th-century Dutch society and by examining the history of military dress.