A soldier ramming home powder and bullet with the ramrod, from the Marksmen series, plate 26, in Waffenhandlung von den Rören Musquetten undt Spiessen / Wapenhandelinghe van Roers Musquetten ende Spiessen (The Exercise of Arms) 1608

This etching by Jacques de Gheyn II is part of a larger series titled "The Exercise of Arms", published in 1608. It shows a soldier in detailed, realistic fashion, demonstrating the process of loading and preparing a musket for firing. The image is one of 26 plates illustrating the steps involved in military training, a subject that held great importance in 17th-century Europe. De Gheyn's meticulous attention to detail highlights the importance of precise technique in weaponry, making this work a valuable historical record of early modern military practice.