Around 1970 Lüpertz embarked on a new series in which he examined and revalued themes that were heavily burdened with the legacy of German ideology and Germany's violent history. Painted in 1972 Soldat II juxtaposes steel helmets and military uniforms with natural insignia such as ears of corn, snails, acorns and antlers to create monumental emblematic clusters.

By enlarging his figures and objects to monstrous size, Lüpertz achieves an effect at once highly dramatic and alienating. His German emblems have no emotive impact. They are dead clichés, their literary connotations painted out by the artist's brush. This is partly the result of Lüpertz's uniform application of paint, or more precisely distemper, similar to camouflage, which blurs values and blends forms. Khaki green, yellow and amber predominate. Painting triumphs over objects and reveals their historical emptiness. In doing so Lüpertz has devalued the old symbols of German ideology. Simultaneously, the onlooker is confronted by a faceless person: flesh and bones are replaced by assembled objects; a helmet, a uniform, a spade and ears of corn. The figure, isolated and anonymous resembles a lifeless puppet, lacking in human emotion and devoid of motion. The human being is simply reduced to an object.