Only some twenty paintings by Maerten Stoop are known. The military scene exhibited here is one of the finest examples of his work. Not only is the picture in an excellent state of conservation, but the composition and refined use of colour are exceptional.
In the ruins of a monumental building soldiers are busily engaged in playing cards. One of them is playing with a woman, but her attention has been caught by a portly officer who offers her money for her favours. The card players are too engrossed in the game to have time for drinking; the thirsty horseman at the right, however, is greedily downing a tankard of beer. The onlooker, who is observing the scene from a crumbling wall, also has a beer mug in his hand. This superb picture reveals Stoop as one of the finest artists to have portrayed military subjects.