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Foot Combat with War Hammers and Tartsche Shields, by German 16th Century, ink, 1514

Foot Combat with War Hammers and Tartsche Shields

German 16th Century

1514

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Dominant colour

Overview

Foot Combat with War Hammers and Tartsche Shields is a 1514 ink by German 16th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?
German 16th Century
When & what style?
1514 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?
National Gallery of Art

About this work

This ink-and-watercolor drawing shows two fighters locked in combat. They wear heavy armor and hold war hammers and round shields called tartsche. The artist used fine lines and thin glazes of color to build up their armor plate. The armor looks almost real enough to wear. That level of detail wasn’t easy in 1515—artists had to grind pigments by hand and layer them carefully. Look for more German armor drawings at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

About the artist

Portrait of German 16th Century
Artist

German 16th Century

A German artist from the late 1500s drew lively scenes of knights clashing in parades and mock battles.

See the richer artist page

More by German 16th Century

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