1669
chalk
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
French Troops before Salins and the Surrounding Hills is a 1669 chalk by Adam Frans van der Meulen, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a long, flat landscape with a row of soldiers on horseback and foot marching across open ground. Behind them, a range of jagged hills rises, lightly drawn in red chalk. The paper has a grid of lines, and the whole scene looks like it was quickly traced, with some areas erased or scratched out. The soldiers are spread out in a loose line, moving toward the hills. The artist used red chalk for the main drawing, with black chalk underneath—likely to plan the layout first. Next, look up Baroque to see how this sketch fits into that bold, dramatic style.
Adam Frans van der Meulen or Adam-François van der Meulen (11 January 1632 – 15 October 1690) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman who was particularly known for his scenes of military campaigns and conquests.
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