The image shows a man standing confidently. He is positioned with one hand on his hip and the other holding a tall, ornate staff. The man has an angular face with a prominent nose and a short beard; his hair is short and curly. He wears an elaborate outfit typical of the late 16th to early 17th century, featuring a ruffled collar, a decorated doublet, and puffed, patterned sleeves, paired with knee-length breeches and stockings. He has a sword attached at his side. There is a detailed shield with a crest hanging from a tree to his right, and the background shows a landscape with trees and distant figures engaged in a battle scene, with smoke and clouds suggesting the chaos of warfare. The bottom part of the image features Latin text.
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The image shows a man standing confidently. He is positioned with one hand on his hip and the other holding a tall, ornate staff. The man has an angular face with a prominent nose and a short beard; his hair is short and curly. He wears an elaborate outfit typical of the late 16th to early 17th century, featuring a ruffled collar, a decorated doublet, and puffed, patterned sleeves, paired with knee-length breeches and stockings. He has a sword attached at his side. There is a detailed shield with a crest hanging from a tree to his right, and the background shows a landscape with trees and distant figures engaged in a battle scene, with smoke and clouds suggesting the chaos of warfare. The bottom part of the image features Latin text.

National Gallery of Art · Print

A Pike-Man Turned to the Left

Hendrik Goltzius

Date
1582
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 27.4 x 15.3 cm (10 13/16 x 6 in.)
Classification
Print
Accession number
2011.139.15
Credit line
Gift of the Estate of Leo Steinberg
Time span
1551 to 1600
Department
CG-E

Subjects and terms

  • Male figure
  • Costume
  • Portrait
  • Shield
  • Writing
Provenance

Leo Steinberg, New York (1920-2011); Estate of Leo Steinberg, New York; gift to NGA, 2011.

Inscription

in image: Hodie Cras. nihil; lower left in image: H Goltzius / fecit / 1582; lower cetner in image: Mortalis fugitis mortem patrianq. tueri / Horretis pauidi mors sua quinq. menet / Vita nimis nulli placeat quem mors tenit vfq / Qui si HODIE est aliquid, CRAS NIHIL esse potest.; by later hand, lower center verso in graphite: B. 216

NGA object ID 156036. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.