A soldier on guard freeing his right hand, from the Marksmen series, plate 37, in Wapenhandelinghe van Roers Musquetten Ende Spiessen (The Exercise of Arms)

Art Historical Context

Jacques de Gheyn II, a masterful Dutch engraver of the late 16th and early 17th centuries, created this intricate print as plate 37 from his renowned *Wapenhandelinghe vaners Musquetten Endeessen* (*The Exercise of Arms*), comprehensive 117-plate manual published around 1607–1608. Titled *A Soldier on Guard Freeing His Hand*, it depicts aeteer in mid-drill, transitioning from a guarded stance—highlighting the precise maneuvers essential for early modern infantry. Commissioned by Prince Maurice of Orange-Nassau, stadtholder of the Dutch Republic during its revolt against Spanish rule, the series revolutionized military training by standardizing pike and musket drills. These engravings served as visual textbooks, distributed across Europe to instill discipline in troops wielding cumbersome matchlock firearms. De Gheyn's meticulous technique—fine lines capturing muscle tension, fabric folds, and weapon details—made the second state of this plate (per New Hollstein) a pinnacle of reproductive printmaking, blending artistry with practical instruction. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), this 10¼ × 7⅛-inch engraving offers a window into the tactical innovations that helped the Dutch secure independence, while showcasing de Gheyn's portrait-like focus on the soldier's poised intensity.