De exercitie met schild en spies: de soldaat met het schild gereed en de spies naast zijn rechtervoet op de grond (nr. 17), 1618 1616 - 1618

This drawing by Adam van Breen, created in 1618, presents a soldier in full military dress, rendered with meticulous detail in pen and watercolour. The palette, though muted, draws our eye to the soldier's rounded breeches. He stands in a formal pose; shield in hand, spear grounded, ready. Van Breen's work demonstrates the principles of formalism through the use of line and color, and the careful organization of visual elements creates a structured image. The lines of the soldier's armor and the folds of his clothing are sharply defined, providing a sense of depth and form. The muted color palette, combined with the detailed lines, reflects the structured military dress codes of the period. The use of space and perspective flattens the image, reducing the depth and emphasizing the flatness of the picture plane. This destabilizes established meanings by challenging traditional representational techniques and opening up new ways of thinking about space and perception within art. Van Breen's attention to the soldier's gear underscores a larger cultural discourse about military preparation.