Soldier's Funeral (from The Life and Death of a Soldier) 1781

Robert Blyth created "Soldier's Funeral" around 1780 using etching and engraving. The composition is dominated by a somber palette and the arrangement of figures around a central point of loss, creating an atmosphere charged with grief and reflection. Blyth masterfully employs linear techniques to articulate form and emotion. Observe how the cross-hatching defines the weight of the soldiers’ armor and the delicate shading that models the woman's sorrowful face. The etches are not merely descriptive; they evoke the emotional gravity of the scene. The work challenges conventional heroic narratives of the period. By focusing on the aftermath of battle, Blyth subverts traditional glorifications of warfare. The skeletal remains in the foreground act as a memento mori, reminding us of the vanity of earthly achievements. Blyth's etching transforms the battlefield into a meditation on mortality.