Fähnrich, einen Burschen über den Haufen rennend 

Friedrich Moosbrugger made this pencil drawing, titled “Fähnrich, einen Burschen über den Haufen rennend”, which translates as "Ensign running over a boy", sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It depicts a soldier knocking over a young man. The scene is striking, and we might ask what the artist intended by it. The image can be understood as an observation about social structures. Consider how the ensign, holding a flag, stands for power and authority, whilst the “boy” represents the everyday person. The drawing shows what happens when these two figures literally collide. It seems to critique the military institutions of Moosbrugger’s time, showing a kind of violent disregard for the common man. To understand this work better, we can consult historical documents of the period. We might want to learn more about the uniforms of soldiers, or the political implications of flag-bearing. Art historical analysis can tell us so much, but it always depends on a rich understanding of social and institutional contexts.