Standard Bearer with Raised Left Hand 1515 - 1571

Curator: Today, we’re looking at “Standard Bearer with Raised Left Hand,” an engraving by Barthel Beham dating back to the period of 1515 to 1571, currently residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My first impression is a blend of the monumental and the peculiar. The figure seems intentionally robust, almost comically so, yet there's a gravitas in his posture and the density of the line work. Curator: Beham was clearly invested in representing the social status embedded in material possessions. Look closely at the details – the ornate beads, the elaborate puff-and-slash construction of the clothing, and of course, the standard itself. The keys hanging from his belt... symbols of authority, secured through production, wealth, and labor. Editor: Absolutely, and those keys aren't just functional objects; they speak to a deep-seated human desire to control and possess. Notice how Beham renders them larger than life, almost talismanic. The flag itself, seemingly unadorned, might represent communal identity—or, perhaps, enforced allegiance to some system. Curator: The question for me then becomes how printmaking factors into Beham’s social critique or endorsement. By creating this engraving, was he democratizing access to the image of power or further solidifying its perceived authority? This artwork seems preoccupied with the way status and power were materially represented and performed in 16th-century society. Editor: And performed is a good word here because the raised hand invites the viewer into his narrative, almost compelling acknowledgment, if not obedience. It's as though Beham knew images would wield power and desired to imbue this "Standard Bearer" with an outsized influence. This connects to art’s ancient role of encoding cultural narratives—of dominance, order, belief. Curator: So, in summary, we see the image and the physical form intertwined in ways that force us to confront questions about production, access, and class. Editor: Yes, exactly. A complex, visually engaging study of identity through symbolic expression.