Soldaten met getrokken wapens te paard c. 1871 - 1876

George Hendrik Breitner made this pencil drawing of soldiers on horseback in the Netherlands, likely between 1870 and 1923. This drawing depicts the military, which was an institution of great social and political significance in the Netherlands during Breitner's lifetime. The drawing is striking because it shows a slice of military life rather than presenting it as a heroic ideal. Breitner was known for his interest in depicting everyday life and social realism, as the Dutch Golden Age was coming to an end. His impressionistic style captures the movement and energy of the soldiers and horses, but it also suggests the potential for chaos and disorder. To understand this work better, we might look at Dutch military history, the politics of military imagery, and the development of social realism in Dutch art. The meaning of this drawing is contingent on the social and institutional contexts in which it was made and received, which goes to show the extent of social history and how it allows for the reinterpretation of art.