Artwork
"Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword" [fol. 20 recto]
!["Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword" [fol. 20 recto], by French early 16th Century, ink, 1514](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--do-not-poke-the-fire-with-a-sword-fol-20-recto--3a55770abb99a59d-w1024.webp)
"Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword" [fol. 20 recto] is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist French early 16th Century. It dates from 1514 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This 16th-century drawing, titled 'Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword,' is an allegorical work created with pen and gray ink on laid paper.
About this work
The painting is titled "Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword" and was created in the early 16th Century.
It's an allegory, which means it uses symbols to convey a message.
The artist used pen and gray ink on laid paper to create this work, which is a technique that was common during the Renaissance.
You can learn more about this style by looking into the movement: Renaissance.
Overview
This 16th-century drawing, titled 'Do Not Poke the Fire with a Sword,' is an allegorical work created with pen and gray ink on laid paper.
Subject & Meaning
The drawing conveys a message through symbolic representation, inviting the viewer to interpret its meaning.
Technique & Style
Executed in pen and gray ink on laid paper, a technique characteristic of the Renaissance period, the work reflects the artistic practices of its time.
Context
The drawing is associated with the Renaissance, a cultural and artistic movement that emphasized classical influences and humanism.
Artist & collection
Artist
A French draftsman from the early 1500s filled sheets of laid paper with tiny, sharp-tongued instructions—ink sketches paired with warnings like “Do Not Eat Your Heart Out” or “Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws.”…
!["Do Not Eat Your Heart Out" [fol. 22 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--do-not-eat-your-heart-out-fol-22-recto--003887c9850175b9-w320.webp)
"Do Not Eat Your Heart Out" [fol. 22 recto]![The Calumny of Apelles [fol. 6 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--the-calumny-of-apelles-fol-6-recto--037fde9ac8dbd27b-w320.webp)
The Calumny of Apelles [fol. 6 recto]!["Do Not Make Water on Clippings from Nails or Hair" [fol. 30 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--do-not-make-water-on-clippings-from-nails-or-hair-fol-30-rec--03ca31c36e5a66b9-w320.webp)
"Do Not Make Water on Clippings from Nails or Hair" [fol. 30 recto]!["You Are Tying a Dolphin by the Tail" [fol. 17 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--you-are-tying-a-dolphin-by-the-tail-fol-17-recto--0abe83abfb5ccd1d-w320.webp)
"You Are Tying a Dolphin by the Tail" [fol. 17 recto]!["Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws" [fol. 38 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--feed-not-things-that-have-sharp-claws-fol-38-recto--1f28115410528631-w320.webp)
"Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws" [fol. 38 recto]![A Courtier Standing Between Covetousness and Dissimulation [fol. 14 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--a-courtier-standing-between-covetousness-and-dissimulation-f--2578f4fe9846edc2-w320.webp)
A Courtier Standing Between Covetousness and Dissimulation [fol. 14 recto]![A Fool Feeding Flowers to Swine [fol. 42 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--a-fool-feeding-flowers-to-swine-fol-42-recto--27579a7c495e1682-w320.webp)
A Fool Feeding Flowers to Swine [fol. 42 recto]!["You Are Shooting at Heaven" [fol. 9 recto], by French early 16th Century](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/french-early-16th-century--you-are-shooting-at-heaven-fol-9-recto--28e4ef6e8d8a696d-w320.webp)
"You Are Shooting at Heaven" [fol. 9 recto]
