Entwurf zu einer Belagerung, vorne links halten zwei Befehlshaber in der Mitte von Schützen, im Hintergrunde sind Kanonen aufgepflanzt und ein Zug Infanterie 

Robert van den Hoecke created this drawing, “Entwurf zu einer Belagerung”, using pen and brown ink on paper. Looking at the quick, light marks that define the many figures here, you might think that drawing is as far as this artist went. But the term “Entwurf” translates from German as “design.” So, this is not a finished work, but rather a preparatory stage. Hoecke was court painter to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, who was commander of the army of Flanders. That context informs the drawing. It is not meant to be viewed in isolation. It is a means to an end, a proposal for an image that would glorify military engagement. Consider how much labor is implied in the war machine being represented, and then think about the labor of the artist, tasked with picturing this scene so that it would serve a political purpose. This drawing embodies power relations, both in its subject matter, and in its own status as an element in a cycle of production.