Elegantly Dressed Soldier Preparing to Fire His Caliver c. 1597

Jacques de Gheyn II created this drawing of an elegantly dressed soldier with pen and brown ink, and gray wash on cream laid paper. De Gheyn’s expert handling of line and tone brings an almost photographic clarity to the figure, from the soft plume of smoke rising from the caliver, to the play of light on the soldier’s metal helmet and breastplate. It is a virtuoso display, yet the real wonder here is the subject matter. The artist has chosen to depict not a heroic general or battle scene, but a common soldier, the very person on the front lines, the one who pays the true cost of war. The artist’s attention to the details of the soldier's attire and weaponry emphasizes the human element, and the labor of war. In his hands, the drawing transcends mere illustration, and reminds us that the story of conflict is always, at heart, a human one.