Soldier on guard with a musket taking hold of his match (no. 39), ca. 1600
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A soldier on guard, full-length, facing right, holding a musket (a specific type of firearm) with his left hand at the fork of the fork (musket fork) upon which the barrel rests (no. 39), ca. 1600. In his left hand, besides the fork, he holds a lit match. With his right hand he grasps this match. Plate 39 in the instructions for handling the musket: Shorte instruction for the figures, so much concerneth the right use of muskett. Part of the illustrations in an English edition of J. de Gheyn's Wapenhandelinghe: J. de Gheyn, The exercise of armes for calivres, muskettes and pikes after the ordre of Maurits Prince of Orange, 's-Gravenhage 1608. Military affairs around 1600.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionSimilar works
Soldier on guard pressing his match onto the cock of his musket (no. 41), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard pressing the match to the cock of his musket (no. 41), ca. 1600
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Soldier on guard with a musket bringing his match to his mouth to blow it clean (no. 40), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard with a musket taking his match (no. 39), ca. 1600