Rehearsal in Holland 1787, Johann Heinrich Ramberg

One of a set of four, and a companion print to bmsat 7177. A party of unsoldierly dutch ragamuffins practises firing at the figure of a prussian soldier (right) chalked on a high stone wall. They stand on the brink of a ditch close to the wall and are commanded by a man in civilian dress holding a pike, evidently a member of a free corps, who is directing the military training of the others. One man stands up to his knees in water; frogs are climbing up him. Other frogs stand on the bank holding weapons. A crowd of ruffians (left) watch the firing, some have muskets, one a blunderbuss, one blows a trumpet, another waves his hat; all exult at the success of their arms against the symbol of the prussian army, at which a dog barks and ducks quack. The high stone wall has a ruinous gap which is filled with a windmill. 18 october 1787 etching. Date: 1787. Dimensions: Height: 320 mm (sheet size); Width: 396 mm. Medium: paper. Collection: British Museum. Rehearsal in Holland 1787 (BM 1851,0901.371)