The Battle Against the Blue Company

1515

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Renaissance Renaissance History Painting

Dominant colour

The Battle Against the Blue Company is a 1515 by Leonhard Beck, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Leonhard Beck
When & what style?: 1515 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

This woodcut shows knights on horseback in a fight. One side wears white, the other blue. The trees and ground are simple and flat. It was made for a book about Emperor Maximilian. The art was printed, not painted. Back then, printed images spread news fast. This one boosted the emperor’s fame. If you like early prints, try another by Leonhard Beck (German, c. 1480–1542).

The story of this work

Overview

This woodcut depicting a military campaign is an illustration for Der Weisskunig, or The White King, an autobiography of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (reigned 1486–1519). Written in German, the book takes the form of a courtly romance novel featuring armored knights. The hero, Maximilian, is the White King. The Blue King and his party represent France. Maximilian was the earliest Renaissance prince to extensively use printed images and texts to cultivate his authority and spread his ideology. Der Weisskunig is one of several major print projects sponsored by the emperor and executed by a…

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Leonhard Beck

Leonhard Beck (c. 1480 – 1542) was a painter and woodcuts designer in Augsburg, Germany. He was the son of Georg Beck, a miniaturist who was active in Augsburg c. 1490–1512/15. Leonhard collaborated with his father on…

See the richer artist page