Soldaat die zijn furket onder zijn musket plaatst, ca. 1645 1645 - 1647

Curator: We're now looking at a print dating from around 1645-1647, titled "Soldier Placing His Fork Under His Musket," by Petrus Rucholle. It depicts a full-length portrait of a soldier. Editor: He looks like he's off to a rather fancy dress party that happens to be on a battlefield. All that frilly trim seems rather impractical for a soldier. The lighting feels stark and unforgiving. Curator: Notice the precision of the engraving, the meticulous lines creating texture and form. The composition is quite striking in its linearity, emphasizing the soldier's upright posture and the verticality of his weapon. Editor: It’s like he’s about to topple over; it looks wildly unbalanced. Perhaps that precariousness echoes the uncertainty of the times? You know, all the anxieties bound in duty and survival. Curator: Observe how the artist uses line weight to define depth, creating a sense of three-dimensionality within the constraints of the print medium. Consider, also, how the lines not only illustrate form, but articulate a structured interplay between the figure and weapon. The technical ability on display here, through a detailed crosshatching effect to convey shades, and light, exemplifies high baroque printmaking conventions. Editor: Crosshatching aside, isn't there a little satire peeking through? His exaggerated moustache, those billowing trousers—almost cartoonish. As if Rucholle couldn’t resist tweaking the conventions even while adhering to them. I love the idea that he may be sending-up this guy a little; suggesting a dandy playing soldier. The face is not as idealised as you might expect in a conventional soldier portrait. Curator: A valuable observation; the individualistic depiction complicates any immediate classification. The textural contrasts present, between the smooth armour and feathered hat, further suggest this nuanced intent. The print successfully manages to both adhere to formal requirements whilst simultaneously providing us a fascinating, flawed depiction of an archetypal military man. Editor: Ultimately, this piece is haunting in a peculiar way. It captures a fragility beneath the facade of military readiness; both technically and emotionally, and does so despite all of the constraints. A delicate balance in an image of a man armed for war.