En Soldat afgiver en Melding til sin Overordnede 1870 - 1923

This small drawing, "En Soldat afgiver en Melding til sin Overordnede," was made by an anonymous artist using pen and ink. The technique of creating the drawing, with its reliance on line and hatching, shows a directness of execution. The artist would have had to be precise in their marks. The choice of pen and ink speaks to the function of this artwork, perhaps intended for reproduction in a newspaper or magazine. The material itself— humble, portable—suggests the conditions of the soldier's life, and perhaps the artist too. We might consider the class dimensions of this work; who had the luxury of oil paint, and who was left with ink? It's a modest image, but one that carries the weight of the military hierarchy.