
Read the visual description
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
- 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.