Civilus gebruikt verplaatsbare houten bruggen bij de aanval op een vesting, 69-70 1768 - 1770

This etching, titled 'Civilus Uses Movable Wooden Bridges in the Attack on a Fortress, 69-70', was created by an anonymous artist, and is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. The artwork, rendered in monochrome, intricately depicts a siege, its visual impact lies in the arrangement of dense linear marks and the interplay of dark and light spaces. The composition is structured around the contrast between the foreground figures and the chaotic battle scene unfolding in the background. This contrast destabilizes the traditional heroic narrative of battle art; instead, it offers a glimpse into the fragmented nature of conflict. Note how the clustered figures are portrayed, their forms and positions are barely articulated. What does this suggest about the relative unimportance of individual actions within the larger context of war? The artist challenges us to consider the structures of power and resistance in a world defined by conflict. It is within this historical and theoretical milieu that the image acquires its enduring significance.