Bronze on a wooden base. Height: 31 cm.
Limited edition of 49 pieces.
Arquebusier of the Spanish Tercios Siege of Breda 1625
This sculpture by José Crespo depicts an arquebusier of the Spanish Tercios during the Siege of Breda in 1625, a key figure in the Spanish infantry of the 17th century. Crafted in bronze, the piece captures the soldier in a resting pose, carrying his arquebus over his shoulder. The attention to detail is evident in the arquebusier’s attire, from the broad hat to the high boots and the folds of his uniform.
The bronze features a patina that adds depth and enhances the textures, emphasizing the creases and details in the fabric. The soldier’s expression is calm and reflective, offering a moment of respite amid the conflict. The sword hanging at his side and the arquebus slung over his shoulder are rendered with precision, reflecting historical authenticity and the equipment used by the soldiers of the Tercios.
The sculpture is mounted on a polished wooden base, adding a warm and elegant contrast to the bronze. This solid base not only provides stability but also completes the piece, allowing it to stand out in any setting.
“This army that you see,
wandering in cold and heat,
is the best and most political republic
in the world, where no one expects
to be preferred for inherited nobility,
but for the nobility they acquire;
because here, the place one earns
exceeds the bloodline they possess,
and regardless of their birth,
they are judged by how they act.
Here, need is not shameful;
and if a soldier is honorable,
poor, and unadorned,
he is of better quality
than the most dashing and well-dressed;
because here, as I suspect,
it is not the attire that adorns the chest,
but the chest that adorns the attire.
And thus, filled with modesty,
you will see the oldest among them
striving to be the most,
while appearing to be the least.
Here, the greatest
feat is to obey,
and the way it must be done
is neither to ask nor refuse.
Here, in short, courtesy,
good manners, truth,
firmness, loyalty,
honor, boldness,
credibility, reputation,
perseverance, patience,
humility, and obedience
are the wealth of poor soldiers;
for in good or bad fortune,
the military is nothing more
than a religion of honorable men.»
Pedro Calderón de la Barca
«This is the second soldier of the Spanish Tercios that I have created. Without a doubt, the Tercios and everything they represented for the greatness of Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries deserve at least a special tribute. We could say that they were to Spain back then what the Marines have been to the United States over the past hundred years. And if any other country had such glorious chapters in its history written by those soldiers, they would surely take pride in it.
On this occasion, when the opportunity arose to include my previous Tercios figure in the exhibition The Spanish Road: A Zipper on the Skin of Europe, which toured various European cities from May to October 2014, I had the chance to meet a fantastic historical reenactment group, Imperial Service. They graciously offered to pose as models for my figures. During the opening of the exhibition at the Army War College in Madrid, I was able to take numerous photos of these reenactors, perfectly dressed in historical attire, which will eventually allow me to continue paying tribute to those soldiers. For now, here is the first figure.
I posed this soldier in the same stance I had seen in a painting by Meissonier that had caught my attention. Coincidentally, that pose is very similar to one of the soldiers in Ferrer Dalmau’s painting The Spanish Road, which was featured in this exhibition. That pose has a lot of strength and is ideal for creating a sculpture. With the photos I took, I didn’t need anything else but to find the right moment to start, and the summer of 2014 was the perfect time.
Nine years have passed since I created the first Tercios soldier, and this is reflected in my style. Without a doubt, it has evolved (though I wouldn’t dare say whether for better or worse, ha, ha…). This figure has more detail without losing the strength of the first one.
And, well… to conclude, I cannot resist recalling here the verse of Calderón de la Barca (writer, poet, playwright, knight of the Order of Santiago, and soldier in the Tercios of Lombardy and Flanders, among other places), who speaks of those magnificent soldiers—the finest infantry in the world.
His experiences in the Tercios inspired him to write verses so aligned with the profession of arms and still relevant today, retaining their value as advice from a seasoned soldier to a newly enlisted one:»
José Crespo
