Who painted Foot Combat with Longswords?

Foot Combat with Longswords was painted by German 16th Century in 1514.

Where can I see Foot Combat with Longswords?

Foot Combat with Longswords is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Foot Combat with Longswords?

Foot Combat with Longswords is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Foot Combat with Longswords

German 16th Century , 1514

Foot Combat with Longswords is an ink drawing by the Renaissance artist German 16th Century. It dates from 1514 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The drawing presents a pair of armored figures locked in a longsword duel, rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor on laid paper.

About this work

The artist shows exact stances—feet planted, arms extended—so readers learn real combat moves.

Two armored fighters clash with longswords in a fencing manual page. Watercolor glazing adds depth to their steel plates and shadows. The artist shows exact stances—feet planted, arms extended—so readers learn real combat moves.

This page comes from a German fight book made around 1515. It teaches longsword play for soldiers and nobles, not just art.

Check the National Gallery of Art, Washington for more pages from this book.

Overview

The drawing presents a pair of armored figures locked in a longsword duel, rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor on laid paper. Executed circa 1515, the image functions as a page from a German martial manual, illustrating a specific combat posture. The work is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures two combatants in full plate armor, each wielding a longsword and assuming a balanced stance with feet firmly planted and arms extended. The illustration serves an instructional purpose, demonstrating the mechanics of a particular thrust and parry sequence for practitioners of the period, rather than portraying a narrative episode.

Technique & Style

The artist employed fine pen lines to delineate the figures and their armor, while delicate watercolor washes add tonal variation to the steel surfaces and the surrounding space. The use of glazing creates subtle shadows that convey depth, and the precise rendering of joints and weapon angles reflects a methodical, diagrammatic approach typical of early sixteenth‑century combat treatises.

History & Provenance

Created in early sixteenth‑century Germany, the drawing is attributed to an anonymous artist associated with a contemporary fencing handbook. It entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it is displayed alongside other pages from the same instructional manuscript.

Context

The image belongs to a broader corpus of German fight books that circulated among soldiers and members of the aristocracy to codify longsword techniques. Such manuals combined practical martial instruction with artistic illustration, reflecting the period’s intertwining of military training and visual culture.