Mercenary Foot Soldier
A contemporary of Albrecht Dürer and Hans Holbein, Altdorfer was a painter, architect, and draftsman. His drawing style is characterized by swift and dynamic strokes, with black ink juxtaposed with white gouache on prepared paper, as here. The figure and landscape emerge from the sheet with a shimmering, moonlit quality. The subject is a Landsknecht—a German mercenary foot soldier—a popular subject in sixteenth-century European art. Such soldiers are often portrayed in proud poses to emphasize their striking uniforms. Set in an undefined landscape, the figure on this sheet is seen from behind, bending forward as he carries a long pike and grips his sword. Exactly what he is doing is unclear, though the jagged end of his pike suggests active combat.
Josef C. Ritter von Klinkosch, Vienna. His sale, April 15, 1889, Wawra, Vienna, Lot 24. Adalbert Freiherr von Lanna, Prague (on verso Lugt 2773, with 5 written above). Henry Oppenheimer, London. His sale, July 10–14, 1936, Christie’s, Lot 350. Frick, 1936.
Source: The Frick Collection: Drawings, Prints & Later Acquisitions. Volume IX. New York: The Frick Collection, 2003.
