The Captain of the Infantry

The captain of the infantry speaks to us in the Latin inscription that can be translated as “I, the commander, lead the way and ensure that Mars’s recruits remain undaunted because I teach them to defy all dangers by my good example.” Mars was the Roman god of war, and when this print was made, the Dutch were deep into a struggle for independence from Spain. This engraving ranks among the most exquisitely produced propaganda images of all time. Hendrik Goltzius was the leading Dutch printmaker of the era and one of the most talented engravers of all time. This is one of his early masterpieces as an independent artist dreaming up new compositions and executing them in virtuosic detail.