A Soldier on Duty
mid to late 17th century
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 3/8 x 4 7/16 in. (18.8 x 11.3 cm) Plate: 7 1/4 x 4 5/16 in. (18.4 x 10.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1960
Accession Number
60.634.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
Abraham Bosse's *A Soldier on Duty*, etching from the mid- to late 17th, captures the vigilant posture of a French soldier armed with a firearm, emblematic of the era's military life. Bosse (1602–1676), a pioneering French printmaker was renowned for his meticulous etchings that documented everyday scenes, costumes, and social customs with remarkable precision. This small-scale work (plate: 7¼ × 4⅜ in.) exemplifies his skill in rendering fine details like the soldier's uniform and weaponry through intricate line work, making it accessible via affordable prints. Created during Louis XIV's reig...
About the Artist
Abraham Bosse · 1602–1676
Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...