Soldiers Fighting 

Giovanni Andrea Ansaldo made this pen and brown ink drawing, Soldiers Fighting, sometime in the early 17th century. It depicts a battle scene with soldiers on horseback and on foot, locked in combat. Ansaldo was working in Genoa at a time when the city was a major Mediterranean port, a site of trade, cultural exchange, and military conflict. This drawing offers a glimpse into the visual culture of warfare, a vision of fighting that was widely shared by artists across Europe. The exaggerated musculature of the soldiers, their dramatic poses, and the chaotic scene all contribute to the emotional impact of the drawing. The drawing may be a preparatory sketch for a larger painting, or a finished work in its own right. By studying the drawing in relation to other artworks of the time, as well as archival documents, such as military records, we can better understand the social conditions that shaped its production. Ultimately, this drawing allows us to consider the politics of imagery in early modern Italy.