Standing Soldier 1550 - 1591

Curator: Here we have "Standing Soldier" a pen and brown ink drawing by Jost Amman, likely created between 1550 and 1591. It resides here at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. What is your first impression? Editor: It’s quite striking. There’s an almost theatrical swagger to this soldier, the way he occupies the space, the detailing in his garb…it projects confidence, but also a kind of vulnerability in the context of conflict and its impact. Curator: Agreed, the artist, Jost Amman, who was working as a printmaker during a period of significant social upheaval in Europe. So, we are seeing this created during an era when the materials to produce a print allowed art like this to be easily copied. Editor: Absolutely, which leads to a democratization of imagery, more opportunity for dissemination of ideals, propaganda or resistance messages among those who were disenfranchised. I can’t help thinking of how the soldier image itself – his clothing, his posture, every choice in representation would speak to particular sociopolitical ideologies. Curator: It makes me want to consider who might be involved in producing art and what the implications are for the type of work produced. Engravings and prints, after all, can be created on the go or even during battle; How might that process affect the subject, too? Editor: Precisely. And even deeper: What socioeconomic circumstances shaped this artist’s view and therefore influenced the work and its perspective? Did his context, position or biases come through in this soldier's portrayal and its relation to actual social struggle? Curator: What a fascinating way to consider this drawing. Considering the material limitations and historical context provides a richer, more complete understanding of this Jost Amman’s “Standing Soldier” then we’d find in aesthetic analysis alone. Editor: I concur. The simple choice to examine art in conversation with culture enriches our comprehension of this soldier's narrative. Thank you for providing insight!