De exercitie met schild en spies: de soldaat houdt spies en schild dicht bij het lichaam (nr. 15), 1618 1616 - 1618

Curator: Immediately I’m struck by how contained the figure seems. Almost hesitant. Editor: It's a soldier, caught in what seems like a very specific moment in training. This print, made by Adam van Breen sometime between 1616 and 1618, is part of a series on military exercises. Titled "De exercitie met schild en spies," this particular image, numbered 15, showcases a soldier holding his pike and shield close to his body. Curator: "Contained" is interesting. It feels almost…performative in its rigidity, doesn’t it? The high collar, the puffy pants... It's all so intentionally stylized, isn't it? Almost like a Baroque fashion statement, but make it deadly. Editor: Indeed. Van Breen's work arrives during a period of intense military reform and professionalization. It's not just about fashion. Think about the emergence of the Dutch Republic, entangled within the Thirty Years’ War and the Eighty Years’ War. These prints served as instruction, a visual guide to standardize the evolving martial practices. The precision reflects the broader need for disciplined, coordinated troops, rather than relying solely on brute strength. Curator: I see that. But that begs the question: who was the intended audience for such prints? Were these solely for military men, or were they also intended for a civilian gaze? After all, representing soldiery in a particular fashion normalizes war culture to some degree. Editor: That’s insightful. While undoubtedly helpful to soldiers, the broader distribution speaks to a culture deeply embedded in the realities of conflict. There’s a didactic function, shaping how martial strength and discipline were understood, both within and beyond military circles. He seems to capture the early modern era's understanding of power: very formal, a little theatrical, and utterly practical. Curator: Van Breen's creation encourages reflection on both martial precision and artistic stylization. His careful etching encourages the understanding that everything - warfare, governance, and representation itself – had to adhere to certain codified methods to exert power. Editor: Ultimately, what began as an instructional guide can today prompt us to examine military conventions, class dynamics, and our perceptions of conflict. What stories do we continue to normalize through such images, centuries later?