De exercitie met de targe en rapier: de soldaat brengt de targe van de rug over de linkerschouder (nr. 2), 1618 1616 - 1618

Curator: Standing before us is “De exercitie met de targe en rapier: de soldaat brengt de targe van de rug over de linkerschouder (nr. 2)", dating from 1616 to 1618, by Adam van Breen. It’s an engraving, rendered on paper. Editor: There’s an undeniable tension in this Dutch Golden Age piece. The monochrome palette highlights the soldier’s burdened posture as if he is captured in a moment of weariness rather than martial prowess. It whispers a story of constant preparation. Curator: I think you have intuited the intent. The work presents the viewer with a technical demonstration – notice how the numbered title explicitly frames this artwork as part of a manual. What semiotic inferences can be drawn from the soldier’s armour, his positioning, the angles? The artist captures the subject in mid-motion as the shield is brought forward. It’s less about the man himself and more a study of the components and movements that go into the military art of combat during the early 17th century. Editor: You're right, there is something emotionally removed from the representation; the details seem prioritized above a complete impression of human form. It's a baroque rendering that highlights the weight of duty, the geometric puzzle of defense. The subject's world consists of targe, rapier, and endless drills. I wonder if it might be a comment on the burdens placed on soldiers by Dutch society at this moment. Curator: I wonder... The visual language presents the subject simultaneously in terms of instruction and fine art. We appreciate the shading, cross-hatching, and gradations of tonality in relation to its practical purpose. Look closer; there is damage. And yet the piece persists, with lessons still to impart centuries later. Editor: Well, I’m struck again by the quiet humanity captured in the piece – in that burdened stance – technical exercise or not. It lingers with me in a very particular way. Curator: I concur. Though technically focused, Breen has created something much more.