Oude soldaat

Frederick Bloemaert made this print, 'Old Soldier', in the Netherlands in the early 17th century using etching. The image shows a soldier leaning heavily on a staff, with another figure resting behind him. Prints like this were a commodity traded in a growing art market. They could be acquired by collectors or used by other artists as models for figures and costumes. This print belongs to a tradition of depicting military figures, a tradition that served as both glorification and a warning. The soldier's posture and dress suggest that he is aged, impoverished and perhaps wounded. The print might be a comment on the costs of war, and the neglect of soldiers in Dutch society following the end of the Twelve Years' Truce with Spain in 1621. To understand this image better we might consider Dutch military history, and the ways in which the print market was changing at this time. Such resources allow us to consider the social conditions in which the artwork was made and how it might comment on the institutions of its time.