Mock Joust of War with Flying Shields and Without Bevors c. 1512 - 1515

Editor: This drawing, "Mock Joust of War with Flying Shields and Without Bevors," dates from around 1512-1515. It’s done in coloured pencil and watercolour. I’m immediately struck by the dynamism; it feels like a freeze-frame from a larger, rowdier scene. What stands out to you? Curator: The most fascinating aspect is how the artist employs material constraints – coloured pencil and watercolor – to represent the complex social rituals of warfare. This wasn’t just about the clash of bodies; it was also deeply rooted in displays of wealth, power, and social standing. Editor: Could you elaborate? How do materials communicate that? Curator: Well, consider the detail afforded by the pencils and watercolor to display elaborate costumes of jousters. What do these colors signify? Who is afforded what dye? How can this image give us a clue to who can acquire specific materials to show off rank? Furthermore, watercolor, historically less valued than oils, implies a certain performative, almost disposable, quality to the scene itself – a ‘mock’ battle for display and amusement. What does it mean to reproduce war, not to participate? Editor: So, you are saying that the use of what are traditionally deemed ‘lesser’ materials mirrors the mock nature of the joust, which serves to underline material inequalities of this historic social milieu. It wasn't real fighting; it was pageantry intended to enforce a material order. Curator: Precisely! This work prompts us to think about the material means by which social hierarchies were reinforced and displayed. The performance requires props and materials; it requires patronage. It prompts the question: who financed this drawing and what value did they ascribe to it? Editor: It's incredible how a seemingly simple drawing reveals such layers of social and economic commentary just through the materials used! I'll never look at watercolor the same way. Curator: Materiality reveals truths when we ask the right questions.