MIlitaire A-B-C / Alphabet militaire 1800 - 1833

This lithograph is called "Militaire A-B-C" by Philippus Jacobus Brepols. It's a captivating piece, filled with hand-colored illustrations of military figures. The artist's choice to present the alphabet through these characters suggests an attempt to instill discipline and order. Structurally, the artwork uses a grid to organize figures from A to Z. Each box contains a military person, who is distinguished by dress, posture and accoutrements. The restricted color palette, dominated by hues of green and purple, evokes a sense of uniformity, underscoring the regimented life of a soldier. The simplicity of the drawing is in contrast to the complexity of warfare, highlighting a tension between the ideal and reality. It operates as a semiotic system, where each letter represents a different facet of military life, forming a visual language that intersects education with ideological indoctrination. It invites us to reflect on the values and structures of the society that produced it, questioning the codes embedded within the art.