Oude man met houten been omringd door vier figuren 1829 - 1839

This print, ‘Old Man with a Wooden Leg Surrounded by Four Figures’, was created by Ary Scheffer, a French-Dutch Romantic painter. At first glance, it’s a simple scene of a veteran surrounded by concerned family members. But consider this work in the context of post-Napoleonic Europe. Scheffer, with his own family history marked by war and displacement, was deeply attuned to the impact of conflict on ordinary lives. There is an undeniable emotional weight to this piece. The expressions of grief, the visible signs of poverty, and the soldier's missing limb speak to the personal costs of war. Scheffer challenges the glorification of military conflict, instead foregrounding its lasting impact on families and communities. By depicting the human side of war, Scheffer invites us to reflect on the often unseen consequences of political and military ambition.