Mock Joust of War with Flying and Exploding Shields

c.1512-1515

German 16th Century

Associated Names
German 16th Century

Artist

This is a drawing of two knights jousting on horseback. The scene depicts two armored knights engaging in a jousting match, each mounted on a horse. The knight on the left rides a white horse adorned in red, intricate patterned armor, and is seen striking the helmet off the other knight with a lance. The knight on the right is dressed in green and white striped armor, riding a brown horse, and their helmet is seen flying into pieces, indicating the moment of impact. The horses themselves wear matching decorative coverings. The style of the drawing suggests a historical or medieval theme, with attention to the details of the knights' armor and horse trappings. The background is plain, keeping the focus on the central action of the jousting match.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and brown ink with watercolor over black chalk and leadpoint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 33 × 26.3 cm (13 × 10 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.4476

  • Series Title

    Freydal, The Book of Jousts and Tournaments of Emperor Maximilian I: Combats on Horseback (Volume I)

Associated Artworks

See all 76 artworks
This is a painting of a jousting scene with armored horses and riders. The painting shows two armored figures, each on horseback, engaging in a jousting tournament. One horse and its rider are depicted in colorful armor, including a decorative flourish of flowers. The other figure has been unhorsed and is on the ground, covered in a green cloth that extends over the horse. The composition captures the moment of action and skill, with the energy of the horses and the intricacies of their armor depicted through delicate brushwork and a muted color palette. The style resembles medieval manuscript illustrations.

German Joust of Peace

German 16th Century

1515

Freydal, The Book of Jousts and Tournaments of Emperor Maximilian I: Combats on Horseback (Volume I)

German 16th Century

1515

This is a drawing of a jousting scene. It features an armored rider on horseback with a long lance, engaged in a jousting match. The rider is leaning towards the ground, indicating motion of the lance as if striking a target. Another figure lies on the ground, seemingly dislodged from their horse. The horses are adorned in decorative caparisons with green and yellow patterns. The artwork portrays the movement and drama of a jousting scene, showcasing the elaborate armor and attire characteristic of medieval tournaments, offering insight into the pageantry and competitiveness of the era.

German Joust of Peace

German 16th Century

1515

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Frédéric de Pourtalès (1779-1861), Paris; E.P. Goldschmidt (1887-1954), London, c.1914-1918. (Charles Sessler Rare Books, Philadelphia). Purchased 1930 by Lessing J. Rosenwald (L. Supp. 1760b); Gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2019

  • The Last Knight: The Art, Armor, and Ambition of Maximilian I, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2019-2020, no. 50.

Bibliography

1926

  • Dodgson, Campbell. "An Unknown MS. of Freydal."The Burlington Magazine. 48 (1926): 235-237+240-242.

1928

  • Dodgson, Campbell. "More Freydal Drawings." The Burlington Magazine. 53 (October 1928): 170-73.

2019

  • Krause, Stefan. "Freydal, das Turnierbuch Kaiser Maximilians I. - Werkbeschreibungen." Jahrbuch des Kunsthistorischen Museums Wien 21 (2019): 240, repro. 241.

Inscriptions

Upper right by unknown hand in brown ink, on separate paper pasted down: Fraydall gestochen in ainer rott unnd weissin deckhen, auff dem helm zway guldin orn, daruber ain tynn tych; upper center by unknown hand in graphite: 28.a); upper right by unknown hand in brown ink: 77; lower left on mount in black ink: 77; lower right on mount in black ink: A121.

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