Soldier Scene 1680 - 1738

Carel de Moor II painted this Soldier Scene, now held at the Rijksmuseum, sometime in the late 17th or early 18th century. Look at the soldier in the foreground, his feathered cap tilted jauntily, a glass of wine in his hand. He embodies a sense of worldly indulgence that we see echoed through art history, reaching back to the Bacchanals of ancient Rome. Notice the couple embracing in the background. This motif of a soldier and a lover reminds us of similar pairings in Renaissance paintings, where Venus is paired with Mars, the God of War. The embrace, the kiss—a timeless symbol of unity and desire, yet here, tinged with the fleeting nature of carnal pleasure. It resurfaces through time, in different contexts, yet always carrying the weight of human connection and its inherent impermanence.