A Soldier on Guard Blowing the Match Gm-00039801

Jacques de Gheyn II (Dutch, 1565–1629) "To showe to posteritie the manner of souldiers apparel used in these dayes." So wrote Jacques de Gheyn of his goals for his lavishly illustrated book The Exercise of Arms,published in 1607. In this preparatory drawing for the book, de Gheyn strove to create the illusion of a living soldier, carefully modeled in the round and exhibiting a wealth of detail both in costume and weaponry. Focusing on the intricate task of lighting the fuse of his musket, the soldier wears a large plumed hat, billowing striped pantaloons, and high boots, with powder charges strung across his breast. De Gheyn used a simple but imposing pose to create interest, with long, diagonal lines created by the soldier's musket, his sword, and the intersecting angle of his musket rest.

Conceived as a military handbook for the infantry, Exercise of Arms contained one hundred and seventeen designs illustrating the use of the smallshot, the musket, and the pike. Count Johann II of Nassau-Siegen commissioned the text to give the Dutch army a set of clear and systematic military procedures for training soldiers. In the final edition, each image also contained a description of the action shown and its associated commands.

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Our Antiqued Museum Frame in Gold is a high-quality frame made of solid wood, featuring traditional 19th-century cast plaster moulded details and closed corners. These frames are works of art in themselves, each with a unique patina. The hand-rubbed corners and gold finish evoke the elegance of times past. Your selected image is printed on German art paper with archival inks and mounted to quality art board within the frame. Plexiglass is added for print protection and the back is covered with Kraft paper and a hanger is supplied ready to hang..

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Artwork in this collection is from The J. Paul Getty Museum. Reproduction rights are reserved by the copyright owner and used under license by Archivea GmbH.