Who painted Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields?

Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields was painted by German 16th Century in 1514.

Where can I see Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields?

Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields?

Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields

German 16th Century , 1514

Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist German 16th Century. It dates from 1514 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:center by unknown hand in graphite: 3; lower left on mount in black ink: 2; lower right on mount in black ink: A 63

About this work

Overview

Foot Combat with Maces and Tartsche Shields is a pen and black‑ink drawing enhanced with watercolor on laid paper, measuring roughly 33 by 26.8 centimetres. Executed circa 1515, the work captures a brief, vigorous encounter between two German foot soldiers of the early sixteenth century, each wielding a mace and a distinctive tartsche shield.

Subject & Meaning

The composition presents a close‑up view of two armored combatants locked in motion, their bodies twisted as they strike and parry. The detailed representation of contemporary armor, rendered in shades of blue, gray and gold, reflects an interest in the material culture of the period and may have served as a visual study of martial technique or a didactic illustration for military training.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine pen lines for the intricate armor plates, the artist applied washes of watercolor to suggest surface texture and metallic sheen. The use of laid paper provides a subtly textured ground that enhances the contrast between the ink outlines and the muted colour fields, creating a sense of depth while preserving the immediacy of a sketch‑like study.

History & Provenance

Created in the early sixteenth century, the drawing is part of a broader corpus of German martial illustrations that circulated among soldiers and craftsmen. It is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is catalogued among the museum’s collection of early modern European drawings.

Foot Combat with War Hammers and Tartsche Shields, German 16th Century

Artist & collection

Artist

German 16th Century

A German artist of the late 1500s drew knights clashing in parades and mock battles, filling sheets with detailed ink colored lightly in watercolor: soldiers mid-joust, shields flying, foot soldiers sparring with spears.