Cavalry Men at Rest 1680 - 1743

Georg Philipp Rugendas created this ink wash drawing entitled Cavalry Men at Rest sometime in the early 18th century. It depicts soldiers and horses at rest, near what appears to be a battlefield. Rugendas was a member of an artistic family in Augsburg, Germany, a city with a rich history of printmaking and a complex relationship with military power. During Rugendas’ lifetime, Augsburg was a Free Imperial City, caught between powerful empires and regularly impacted by war. As such, it is not surprising that Rugendas repeatedly returned to the subject of military life. However, this image is not a heroic depiction of battle, but rather an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of soldiers. The image creates meaning through the contrast of resting and wounded soldiers with the horse-drawn cannons heading towards the battlefield. To better understand Rugendas’ artistic choices, historians study the political and social conditions of Augsburg as well as its artistic traditions. Only then can we fully appreciate the complex social commentary embedded in this seemingly simple drawing.