Hoofd van een oude soldaat met baard en helm, in profiel naar links 1620 - 1647

Curator: What a wonderfully evocative image. Here we have Stefano della Bella’s, "Head of an Old Soldier with Beard and Helmet, in Profile to the Left", created sometime between 1620 and 1647. It's a Baroque ink drawing now residing at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It’s incredibly detailed. The textures – the roughness of the beard against the polished metal of the helmet–really capture the contrast between the harsh realities of military life and the veneer of power. There's an undeniable feeling of weariness. Curator: Indeed. The hatching technique employed by Della Bella creates a striking effect, drawing attention to the materiality of both the soldier's worn features and the coldness of his armor. Think about the socio-economic implications: Who made that armor? How was the ink produced, and what class could afford such art? Editor: Absolutely. We can consider how this piece reflects broader anxieties of the Thirty Years' War raging at the time, too. The soldier’s downcast gaze feels symbolic of the trauma of unending conflict, a subtle commentary on the devastating impact of war on individual lives. His aging visage speaks to lived experience in conflict. Curator: Yes, and consider the *making* of this art. This was created at a time where there were very strong guilds. Artists learned from each other through collaboration or observation, yet still differentiated themselves. In many ways, making this drawing was work for Della Bella. The production mattered, and who could afford art. Editor: It also humanizes a figure often seen as a cog in the machinery of power. How often are soldiers considered as individual men with complex pasts and emotions? This artwork provides a glimpse beyond the stereotype, pushing back against glorified militarism. He may well have had strong personal or political reasons for fighting, or none at all. Curator: Della Bella has transformed base materials into commentary through skill and hard work. The ink becomes not just an artistic device but a physical manifestation of artistic labor. That speaks to its inherent value as a crafted object as much as any concept that might be implied. Editor: By shifting our perspectives, art like this helps us reconsider history as more than just dates and battles; it urges to question whose stories get told and whose voices are centered. This image encourages me to investigate the lived experience of ordinary people marginalized throughout time. Curator: Seeing Della Bella’s craftsmanship, in particular, makes me wonder, what was his workshop like? What other materials were at hand? Editor: This piece certainly offers a sobering glimpse into the past, but also hopefully offers a prompt to actively dismantle inequalities and disrupt harmful power dynamics today.