Soldaat en zittende man 1809 - 1841

This drawing, "Soldaat en zittende man" – "Soldier and Seated Man" – was made by Joannes Bemme, sometime around the late 18th or early 19th century. Executed in pen and ink, it’s a study of a soldier looming over a seated man, and what’s most striking is the contrast implied between their stations in life. Bemme skillfully uses the fluidity of ink to create textures in the fabrics, metal and skin, defining his figures using line alone. The method has a long history, stretching back to the earliest printed books. Yet there is nothing mechanical about it here. Note the loose handling, the artist's visible enjoyment of the pen’s potential. Look closely, and you’ll see that the contrast between the two men extends to the very process of depiction: the soldier is tightly rendered, while the seated man is more vaguely described, as if fading from view. Through the simple materials of paper and ink, Bemme prompts us to consider the broader social implications of military power.