Farmer's tournament c. 1490 - 1500

Editor: This is "Farmer's Tournament" by Hans Burgkmair, created around 1490 to 1500, and rendered in ink. What strikes me is the humorous juxtaposition of rural labor with the conventions of chivalric combat. It seems almost satirical. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The drawing, as a material object, tells a layered story. Burgkmair’s choice of ink, a relatively inexpensive material, immediately situates this work outside the realm of high art commissions. What do you think this means in terms of it's reception at the time? Editor: Possibly it suggests that this was a piece meant for a different audience than, say, courtly art? Maybe something for a rising merchant class? Curator: Precisely! We have this drawing of laborers with, shall we say, *ad-hoc* weaponry engaged in a staged contest. Think about the materiality of their armor – the woven baskets, the agricultural tools adapted for combat. This imagery both evokes and mocks the established social order and military structure. The material choices reveal a pointed social commentary. How are the artist's means of production commenting on the image's context? Editor: So you are suggesting Burgkmair uses his drawing not just to depict the lives of these farmer, but to also question them with the low-cost, readily available ink? The subject matter and the artistic labor involved both become a commentary. Curator: Precisely. By drawing this scene with readily available ink, he democratizes the image, placing it closer to the everyday experiences of his viewers. What have you gathered from considering the relationship between material and subject in Burgkmair's work? Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way before! I now understand that an artwork's meaning can extend far beyond what is merely represented on the surface. It can also reflect, and even challenge, the social structures around its creation and consumption through those artistic choices. Curator: Precisely.