Büchsenmayster

Lansquenets were a familiar sight in the early sixteenth century as they travelled throughout Europe, from one battlefield to the next. They fought as mercenaries in the armies of various European powers, notably during the ‘Italian Wars’ between the House of Habsburg and France. These soldiers were feared not only by their adversaries but also by the civilian population, whom they threatened if they failed to receive payment for their services. But their flamboyance and unconventional lifestyle inspired admiration as well. Strutting in tight-fitting breeches with ostentatious codpieces, and jackets with slashed sleeves, they were certainly a curious sight. ‘No bird more colourful’, Erasmus wrote in one of his Colloquia of 1523, remarking on their gaudy costumes and the showy feathers they wore in their hats.

This print belongs to an unusual series of twenty coloured woodcuts designed by four Nuremburg artists in the circle around Albrecht Dürer: Sebald Beham, Erhard Schön, Niklas Stoer and Peter Flötner. The museum acquired the series in 2010 with the assistance of several funds. Prints of this kind must once have been widely disseminated. They are now extremely rare, particularly beautifully coloured and well-preserved specimens like these.