Soldier Wielding a Weapon, Seen from Behind
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 18 1/16 × 11 11/16 in. (45.8 × 29.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 2018
Accession Number
2018.54.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, *Soldier Wielding a Weapon Seen from Behind* (1764), a striking etching by Philippe Jacques detherbourg and Matthias Pninger. Measuring an impressive 18 116 × 11 11/16 inches on its sheet, this print captures lone soldier in a dynamic rear view, gripping his weapon with poised intensity. The collaboration between Loutherbourg, a versatile artist known for his dramatic compositions, and Pfenninger the era's fascination with military prowess amid Europe's post-Seven Years' War reflections. Etching, as the chosen medium, allowed...
About the Artist
Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg|Matthias Pfenninger · 1740–1812
Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, born in Strasbourg in 1740 to a Swiss miniaturist and engraver, initially pursued studies at the University of Strasbourg for the Lutheran ministry before turning decisively to art. In 1755, he moved to Paris, where he studied under the history painter Charles-André van Loo and the battle specialist Francesco Giuseppe Casanova, later training with engraver Jean-Ge...