Vier Spaanse soldaten, gekleed volgens de mode van ca. 1580 before 1581

This engraving, made around 1580 by Abraham de Bruyn, depicts four Spanish soldiers in fashionable dress. The image is made through the process of etching, where lines are incised into a metal plate with acid, then inked and printed. Consider the material properties of the print - its crisp lines, its contrast of black and white, all achieved through a carefully controlled chemical reaction. Each soldier's elaborate costume, rendered in meticulous detail, speaks to the economics of the military in this period. The textiles they wear were luxury goods traded across Europe, their production relying on global networks of labor. This reflects a culture in which even soldiers were participants in the burgeoning consumer economy. Looking at the surface, the print is an example of skilled craftsmanship, but beyond this, it's a window into a world of political power, economic exchange, and material culture. The image reminds us that even seemingly simple works of art can be densely layered with meaning.