Militair met trommel kijkend naar een hond before 1898

This is Heinrich Krabbé's drawing of a military scene, made with pen and ink on paper. Immediately noticeable is the artist’s use of line: it’s economical yet descriptive. Krabbé uses hatching and cross-hatching to define form and shadow, providing a sense of depth and volume to the figures and architectural elements. The composition is structured around the interaction of three figures - two soldiers and a dog - with an architectural backdrop that adds a layer of spatial complexity. One soldier, the central figure, holds a drum, while the other gestures towards him. The dog on the lower left introduces an element of the everyday, contrasting with the formality of the military figures. Krabbé destabilizes the traditional military portrait by introducing these contrasting elements. The dog, a symbol of domesticity, disrupts any sense of rigid order. This drawing offers a moment of human interaction. It’s a study in contrasts, balancing formal structure with informal, everyday elements.