388 - A. MEULEN (1632–1690), Parade Ground in Front of the Church, Etching

A. MEULEN (1632–1690), Parade Ground in Front of the Church, Etching Adam Frans van der Meulen (before 1632, Brussels – 1690, Paris): Parade ground in front of a site with a Gothic church, 17th century, etching Technique: Etching on paper Date: 17th century Description: At the gates of a small village with a large early Gothic church, three mounted soldiers meet and converse with one another. Seated on the backs of their powerful horses, two of the riders—who appear to be officers—are engaged in lively conversation, one gesturing wildly with his riding crop. A third rider is leading another horse by the reins, struggling to calm the animals, which have been startled by the sudden movement of the cavalryman in front of them. A fourth person, dressed plainly and more like a resident of the nearby village, stands beside the scene, seemingly struggling to make a point. Almost like the scene of a recently abandoned encampment, the field in front of the village lies there with deep ruts in the ground. The church, disproportionately large for the cluster of houses, with large early Gothic tracery windows, flying buttresses, and a single steeple—as well as the single-towered church in the neighboring village—can be attributed to the early Gothic style of the Normandy region or the greater Paris area.Perhaps the etching, drawn with elaborate, flowing lines, foreshadows an armed conflict in the immediate vicinity, the course of which the gentlemen on horseback are still discussing as they exchange strategies and views. Keywords: Gothic, Church, Village, Town, Normandy, France, 19th century, Romanticism, Landscape, Germany, Size: Paper: 33.4 cm x 45.0 cm (13.1 x 17.7 in), Plate: 22.7 cm x 37.4 cm (8.9 x 14.7 in), Image area: 22.0 cm x 36.7 cm (8.7 x 14.4 in) Condition: Good condition. Clear foxing is visible across the entire sheet. Along the upper edge of the sheet, there is a prominent diagonal crease as well as additional crease and dent marks. In the center, there is a slightly torn puncture at the top as well as a marginal tear. A print-related loss is visible in the upper left corner.