Optocht met soldaten onderweg naar een stad 1726 - 1735

Jean Moyreau created this print, *Procession of Soldiers on their Way to a City,* at an unknown date, after a painting by Watteau. The print depicts soldiers marching towards a city, observed by onlookers. The presence of soldiers evokes the ever-present realities of conflict and power. The figures on the periphery—their gazes, expressions—suggest varied positions of complicity, resistance, or perhaps resignation in relation to the military presence. Moyreau’s work invites us to consider the nuanced ways in which ordinary lives are shaped by historical forces. How do such images reflect and shape our understanding of war, peace, and national identity? What do the gendered positions of power and vulnerability represented in the print reveal about the social order of the time? The print serves as a poignant reminder of how war impacts both those on the front lines and those left behind.