Soldiers at Rest (Milites requiescentes), from "The Large Landscapes"
Original title: Soldiers at Rest (Milites requiescentes), from "The Large Landscapes"
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1555–56, Johannes van Doetecum I made the etching 'Resting Soldiers' after a design by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It shows a group of soldiers camped in a landscape, passing the time. The print belongs to the series 'The Large Landscapes' and exists as a black-and-white impression.
Description
Several armored men with helmets fill the foreground: some have sat or lain on the ground, others stand upright and gesture. Behind them opens an expansive rural area with trees, a river, a church, and a hill topped by a castle. The layout runs horizontally; the figures occupy the lower zone while the eye is drawn into the depth of the background. The light appears evenly distributed, as is characteristic of etching from that period.
Context
The series 'The Large Landscapes' is based on designs by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and was translated into print by Johannes van Doetecum I together with his brother Lucas. The sheets were published in Antwerp; they helped spread Bruegel's conception of landscape. Showing soldiers in an idyllic setting corresponds to the contemporary interest in military motifs and in nature.
Impact
The relaxed episode radiates a contemplative calm, sustained by the wide landscape and the loose figures. Through differentiated linework and the precise rendering of nature and people, the image achieves a realistic yet idealized feel.
Technique
The print was executed as an etching, supplemented by engraving, which allows fine lines and graduated tonal values. The printing plate was presumably iron or copper; the impressions were made in black and white on paper.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)