De exercitie met schild en spies: de soldaat brengt met zijn linkerarm het schild terug op de rug (nr. 26), 1618 1616 - 1618

Curator: This engraving, created between 1616 and 1618 by Adam van Breen, is titled "De exercitie met schild en spies: de soldaat brengt met zijn linkerarm het schild terug op de rug (nr. 26)". Editor: My immediate thought is “chunky." The proportions, the lines... it’s like a sturdy little teapot pretending to be fierce. He looks less battle-ready and more ready for a Renaissance LARP-ing convention. Curator: You perceive that contrast, which perhaps speaks to shifting martial needs. By the early 17th century, plate armor’s protective value declined as firearm accuracy increased, while its symbolic importance endured. Think about this in the context of societal transformations and the iconography of the military. Editor: Aha, symbolism over substance. Like those tiny dogs women carried; all yap and no bite. And this pose-- “the soldier brings his shield back?” It seems awfully specific for an engraving, like a still from the Baroque version of ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ Curator: It is part of a larger series, instructional engravings, offering snapshots of military drills. But, to your point of symbolism: consider the shield, a symbol of protection since antiquity. Its very presence reassures even if its practicality wanes. And his spear is out of frame, absent… perhaps an age transitioning to gunpowder, making the shield a cultural totem? Editor: You’re right. Totems persist long after they become functionally obsolete; consider marriage traditions or shaking hands, right? What's really fascinating is how van Breen conveys the textures of armor using engraving. Each curve suggests dimension… though let’s be honest, those puffy pants don’t quite mesh with the seriousness of it all! Curator: Notice how the artist meticulously depicts the play of light across the metal surface. He's conveying not only texture, but the concept of reflection and refraction. Think of the shield mirroring the light… potentially blinding an attacker? More broadly, could van Breen be exploring ideas of defense versus deflection on both a practical and metaphorical level? Editor: And deflection is absolutely part of Baroque! Dodging drama like our boy in puffed trousers. This piece is less about martial precision and more about embracing a moment on the cusp of great changes… captured forever within a stout little frame. Curator: Indeed, Adam van Breen immortalizes not just an action but an epoch in motion.