‘Seven-Citizen Army’. My adaptation of a child’s drawing, circa 1893, of a file of soldier. My soldiers cross with an identical column from the opposite direction. Drawings (four images).
‘Seven-Citizen Army’
A child of six in 1894 made the original for this drawing. Seven soldiers marching in a line, the first two obviously martial in bearing, the last two having, as yet to achieve this status. You can see where the young artist’s attention begins to slip with soldiers. 3, 4 and 5. My drawings show the same column of soldiers crossing an identical column coming from the opposite direction. A complicated manoeuvre made more problematic by the presence of a puddle in which they are reflected.
I had to re-learn drawing skills appropriate to a six-year old boy and so the left hand facing column of men was drawn with my left hand. I like the way the symmetrical overlap in the middle of each drawing turns the central figure outwards in what seems like a militarily problematic gender transformation.