Hendrik Goltzius

In drawings, prints, and paintings produced throughout his career, Goltzius often returned to images of ancient warriors and mythical heroes. Despite its relatively small size, this study of a helmeted figure in an antique- inspired military costume captures the feeling of heroic grandeur that the artist aimed to achieve in such works. Goltzius’s drawing style is fluid and loose, suggesting confident and speedy execution. He strategically placed touches of red chalk to describe the warrior’s skin tone, adding a painterly flourish to the image.